Totonac. <em>Whistle</em>, circa 600-700. Ceramic, traces of pigment, 11 3/8 × 6 13/16 × 2 1/4 in. (28.9 × 17.3 × 5.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 58.185. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.58.185_front.jpg)

Totonac. Whistle, circa 600-700. Ceramic, traces of pigment, 11 3/8 × 6 13/16 × 2 1/4 in. (28.9 × 17.3 × 5.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 58.185. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.58.185_front.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Can you guys help me with this? I saw something similar at the MET called a "Smiling Figure" from Mexico. Is this the same thing?

Yes, these figurines are also referred to as Smiling Figurines because they are represented in a state of euphoria, perhaps due to intoxication from a fermented beverage or hallucinogenic drug, we don't know for sure. These figures were made in large numbers in "press molds" where wet clay was pressed into a fired clay mold. Each one is slightly unique though, as the artist would add details afterwards: some of them little tongues, others teeth. They are very charming!

The one at the MET is attributed to the Veracruz culture and is from Remojadas. Is that a place or a collection? How is Totonac related?

Remojadas is a place and a name applied to the culture who produced works of a certain artistic style. Remojada culture is considered a subset of the larger Veracruz culture. The Totonac are also from the Veracruz area and their material culture is related.

I've seen figures like this before, why were they made?

This one in particular served as a whistle. Overall, their function is still being interpreted. It is believed that they served a ritual function in life, as many show signs of being used or have musical rattles built into them.

Whistle

Arts of the Americas

CULTURE Totonac

MEDIUM Ceramic, traces of pigment

DATES circa 600-700

DIMENSIONS 11 3/8 × 6 13/16 × 2 1/4 in. (28.9 × 17.3 × 5.7 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 58.185

CREDIT LINE Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Totonac. Whistle, circa 600-700. Ceramic, traces of pigment, 11 3/8 × 6 13/16 × 2 1/4 in. (28.9 × 17.3 × 5.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 58.185. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.58.185_front.jpg)

IMAGE front, CUR.58.185_front.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2019

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Can you guys help me with this? I saw something similar at the MET called a "Smiling Figure" from Mexico. Is this the same thing?

The one at the MET is attributed to the Veracruz culture and is from Remojadas. Is that a place or a collection? How is Totonac related?

I've seen figures like this before, why were they made?