Lot 185a, Auction 3/19/2026: 2 Maya Pottery Bird Ocarinas and 1 Peruvian Whistle

$325.00

In stock

Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya, ca. 600 to 900 CE; South America, Peru, ca. 19th century CE. A charming group of three pottery whistles including two larger Pre-Columbian Maya examples modeled in the form of birds and a smaller Peruvian whistle dating to the 19th century. The Maya whistles display rounded avian bodies with simplified heads and wings, their forms pierced with sound holes that allowed them to function as small wind instruments. Such whistles were often used in ritual, music, and ceremonial contexts, producing sharp, bird-like tones when blown. The third example, more petite in size, is a Peruvian pottery whistle with a streamlined triangular form and a single perforation for suspension. While later in date, it reflects the continuation of a long Andean tradition of ceramic sound instruments used in daily life and festive settings. Size of largest: 2.6″ L x 2″ W x 3″ H (6.6 cm x 5.1 cm x 7.6 cm)

Together, the group offers an engaging glimpse into the role of sound-producing objects in the Americas, where pottery whistles served not only as instruments but also as symbolic objects shaped in forms drawn from the natural world.

Condition: All still function as whistles. Chip to beak of one bird. Expected weathering and surface wear as shown. Good remaining detail.

Provenance: private Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, acquired in 2022; ex-John Moran collection, Denver, Colorado, USA; ex-Daniel K. Statnekov collection, acquired 1970s to 2003

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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