**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexican, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. An adorable pottery double flute boasting the zoomorphic form of an owl with pointed horns, large, a pinched beak, and annular eyes. Tubular, anthropomorphic arms rise from the sides, bending at the elbows to grasp the beak. The body of the flute is comprised of 2 hollow cylinders with 4 circular key holes on the opposite end of the owl's head, which flattens at the top to form the mouthpiece. In ancient American societies, birds were powerful symbols that represented the realm of the sky and were often associated with shamans. A flute like this may have been used during sacred ceremonies; its sonorous whistle intended to mimic the sweet sound of the animal it represents! Size: 6.4" L x 1.8" W (16.3 cm x 4.6 cm)

Cf. the Walters Art Museum, 2009.20.102.

Provenance: ex-collection of the late Peter Arnovick, San Francisco, California, USA, acquired before 1995

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#180081

Still functions as a flute. Chipping to owl's horns and age-expected surface wear as shown, but otherwise intact and excellent with light earthen deposits throughout.