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The Brooklyn Museum

Collections: Arts of the Pacific Islands




Stopper for a Flute in the Form of a Bird

Stopper for a Flute in the Form of a Bird. Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River, 19th century. Wood, pigment, 14 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (36.2 x 6.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alistair B. Martin, 51.197.1

Long, transverse bamboo flutes are used throughout the Sepik region. They are usually played in pairs by men and are used in a ritual context reserved for fully initiated men. The most important rituals are accompanied by flute melodies that represent the voices of mythical birds and, through them, certain incarnations of ancestors. The flutes are decorated on the upper ends with carved stoppers, which in turn are further decorated with brightly colored leaves and feathers.

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