206 - Flute in the Form of a Phallus

DATE 300 BC - 300 AD AUTHOR Unknown Pre-Columbian artist - Nayarit culture - Western Mexico MEDIA Painted Terracotta SIZE 15,2 cm (6") high LOCATION USA - California - Beverly Hills - Barakat Gallery NOTES This remarkable flute is much more than a simple musical instrument. Although we will never know what melodic tunes were once played utilizing it, we can assume that notes and rhythms were intimately linked to ancient fertility ceremonies. The shapes of the flute suggests as much. The flute stands upright, resting on the join of the white mouthpiece and the two large red testicles. A long white shaft rises forth from the testicles, and a red phallic head peeks out at the top, complete with incised lines that define the form.

© 2004 - Matt & Andrej Koymasky