Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia Part 13

It does not appear absolutely certain to me that the system of intervals was made to conform to that of any known scale; but a difficulty arises in attempting to determine this point, as most of the pieces are more or less mutilated. We find also that the note producible by any given stop is not fixed in pitch, but varies, with the force of the breath, two or even three full intervals. As a result of this a glide is possible to the skilled performer from note to note and any desired pitch can be taken.

In material, finish, and decoration these objects do not differ from the ordinary pottery. A majority belong to the alligator group. The size is generally small, the largest specimen being about eight inches in length. The shapes are wonderfully varied and indicate a lively imagination on the part of the potter. Animal forms prevail very decidedly, that of the bird being a great favorite. In many cases the animals copied can be identified, but in others they cannot--perhaps from our lack of knowledge of the fauna of the province, perhaps from carelessness on the part of the artist or from the tendency to model grotesque and complicated shapes. The following creatures can be recognized: men, pumas, ocelots, armadillos, eagles, owls, ducks, parrots, several varieties of small birds, alligators, crabs, and scorpions. Vegetal forms, excepting where in use as instruments or utensils, as reeds and gourds, were not copied. In the National Museum collection there are two tubular pipes, probably modeled after reeds, and another resembles a gourd in shape. The construction of the whistling apparatus is identical in all cases and corresponds to that of our flageolets (see sections, Figs. 240 and 242). Plain tubes were doubtless also used as whistles, and all utensils of small size, such as needlecases and toy vases, can be made to give forth a note more or less shrill, according to the size of the chamber. The simplest form of whistle produces two shrill notes identical in pitch. The shape is double, suggesting a primitive condition of the tibiae pares of the Romans. The parts are pear or gourd shaped, are joined above and below, and have an opening between the necks. The two mouthpieces are so close together that both are necessarily blown at once. The note produced is pitched very high and is extremely penetrating, not to say ear splitting, making an excellent call for the jungles and forests of the tropics. A small specimen is presented full size in Fig. 239, and the section in Fig. 240 shows the relative positions of the mouthpieces, air pa.s.sages, vent holes, and chambers.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 239. Double whistle, lost color ware--1/1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 240. Section of double whistle.]

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Reed shaped instruments are furnished with pa.s.sages and orifices corresponding to the other forms. The chamber is tubular and the lower end is open, and the finger holes, when present, are on the upper side of the cylinder. One example without finger holes has two notes nearly an octave apart, which are produced, the higher with the tube open and the lower with it closed. Perhaps the most satisfactory instrument in the whole collection, so far as range is concerned, is shown in Fig. 241, and a section is given in Fig. 242. It is capable of yielding the notes indicated in the accompanying scale: First, a normal series of eight sounds, produced as shown in the diagram, and, second, a series produced by blowing with greater force, one note two octaves above its radical and the others three octaves above. These notes are difficult to produce and hold and were probably not utilized by the native performer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 241. Tubular instrument with two finger holes, alligator group--1/1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 242. Section of whistle.]

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Two little instruments of remarkable form and unusual powers stand quite alone among their fellows. One only is entire. It is made of dark clay and represents a creature not referable to any known form, so completely is it conventionalized. A fair idea of its appearance can be gained from Figs. 243 and 244. The first gives the side view and the second the top view. The mouthpiece is in what appears to be the forehead of the creature. The vent hole is beneath the neck and there are four minute finger holes, one in the middle of each of four flattish nodes, which have the appearance of large protruding eyes. A suspension hole pa.s.ses through a node upon the top of the head. The capacity of this instrument is five notes, clear in tone and high in pitch. It is notable that the pitch of each stop, when open alone, is identical, the holes being of exactly the same size. In playing it does not matter in what order the fingers are moved. The lower note is made with all the holes closed and the ascending scale is produced by opening successively one, two, three, and four holes. The fragmentary piece is much smaller and the holes are extremely small.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 243.

Fig. 244.

Small animal shaped whistle of blackish ware, with four finger holes--1/1.]

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Of a distinct type of form, although involving no new principle of construction, are two top-like or turnip shaped instruments, one of which is shown in Fig. 245. The form is symmetrical, the ornamentation tasteful, and the surface highly polished. The ware is of the alligator group and is decorated in red and black figures. A section is given in Fig. 246, _a_, and top and bottom views in _b_ and _c_. By reference to these a clear conception of the object can be formed. The companion piece is identical in size, shape, and conformation, and, strange to say, in musical notes also. The tones are not fixed, as each can be made to vary two or three degrees by changing the force of the breath. The tones produced by a breath of average force are indicated as nearly as may be in the accompanying scale. They will be found to occur nearer the lower than the upper limit of their ranges. It should be observed that the capacity for variation possessed by each of these notes enables the skilled performer to glide from one to the other without interruption.

This instrument is, therefore, within its limited range, as capable of adjusting itself to any succession of intervals as is the trombone or the violin. I do not imagine, however, that the aboriginal performer made any systematic use of this power or that the instrument was purposely so constructed. It will be seen by reference to the scale that stopping the orifice in the end opposite the mouthpiece changes the notes half a tone, or perhaps, if accurately measured, a little less than that.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 245. Top shaped instrument, with three finger holes, alligator ware--1/1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _a, b, c_ Fig. 246. Section and vertical views of instrument shown in Fig. 245.]

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Our collection contains several dozen three note whistles or pipes. Most of these represent animal forms, which are treated in a more or less realistic way, but with a decided tendency toward the grotesque. Nearly all are of small size, the largest, an alligator form, having a length of about eight inches. In the animal figures the air chamber is within the body, but does not conform closely to the exterior shape. The mouthpieces and the orifices are variously placed, to suit the fancy of the modeler, but the construction and the powers are pretty uniform throughout. There are two finger holes, placed in some cases at equal and in others at unequal distances from the mouthpiece, but they are always of equal size and produce identical notes. The capacity is therefore three notes. The lower is produced when all the orifices are open, the higher when all are closed, and the middle when one hole--no matter which--is closed.

Besides the animal forms there are a number of shapes copied from other musical instruments or from objects of art, such as vases. A very interesting specimen, ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 247, modeled in imitation of a drum, has not only the general shape of that instrument, but the skin head, with its bands and cords of attachment, is truthfully represented.

A curious conceit is here observed in the a.s.sociation of the bird--a favorite form for the whistles--with the drum. A small figure of a bird extends transversely across the body of the drum chamber, the back being turned from the observer in the cut. The tail serves for a mouthpiece, while the finger holes are placed in the breast of the bird, the position usually a.s.signed to them in simple bird whistles; its three notes are indicated in the accompanying scale:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 247. Drum shaped whistle of plain ware, with bird figure attached--1/1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 248. Vase shaped whistle, lost color ware--.]

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One specimen is vase or pitcher shaped, with base prolonged for a mouthpiece and with a neat handle (Fig. 248). The ground color is a dull red, upon which are traces of painted figures. Its notes are as follows:

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A novel conceit is exhibited in the crab shaped instrument presented in Fig. 249, which gives a back view of the animal. On the opposite side are four small conical legs, upon which the object rests as does a vase upon its tripod. The mouthpiece is in the right arm, beneath which is the sound hole. The two finger holes are in the back behind the eyes of the creature and a suspension hole is seen in the left arm. The painted designs are in red and black lines upon a yellowish gray ground. The following scale indicates its capacity:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 249. Crab shaped whistle, alligator ware--1/1.]

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The largest specimen in the collection, shown in Fig. 250, represents an alligator and is finished in the usual conventional style of the alligator group. The air chamber is large and the sounds emitted are full and melodious and are lower in pitch than those of any other instrument in the collection. The cavity in the mouth and head is separated from the body chamber, and, with the addition of earthern pellets, probably served as a rattle. The mouthpiece is in the tail and the finger holes are in the sides of the body.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 250. Alligator shaped whistle, alligator ware--.]

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Mammals are very often reproduced in these instruments. What appears to be the ocelot or jaguar is the favorite subject. A representative specimen is shown in Fig. 251. The mouthpiece is in the tail and one of the sound holes is in the left shoulder and the other beneath the body.

The head is turned to one side and the face is decidedly cat-like in expression. The decoration is in black and red and may be taken as a typical example of the conventional treatment of the markings of the bodies of such animals. The tips of the ears, feet, and tail are red.

Rows of red strokes, alternating with black, extend in a broad stripe from the point of the nose to the base of the neck. Red panels, inclosing rows of red dots and enframed by black lines, cross the back.

On the sides we have oblong s.p.a.ces filled in with the conventional devices so common in other animal representations. The legs are striped and dotted after the usual manner.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 251. Cat shaped whistle, alligator ware--1/1.]

A unique form, and one that will be looked at with interest by comparative ethnologists on account of the treatment of the tongues, is given in Fig. 252. The instrument consists of an oblong body to which four ocelot heads are fixed, one at each end and the others at the sides. It rests upon four feet, in one of which the mouthpiece is placed. The finger holes are in the side of the body near the legs, as seen in the cut. The decoration, which consists of more or less conventional representations of the skin markings of the animal, is in black and red. Its notes are three, as follows:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 252. Whistle with four ocelot-like heads, alligator ware--1/1.]

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The prevalence of bird forms is due no doubt to the resemblance of the notes of primitive whistles to the notes of birds. The shape of the bird is also exceptionally convenient, as the body accommodates the air chamber, the tail serves as a mouthpiece, and the head is convenient for the attachment of a cord of suspension. A great variety of forms were modeled and range from the minute proportions of the smallest humming bird to those of a robin. The larger pieces represent birds of prey, such as hawks, eagles, and vultures, and the smaller are intended for parrots and song birds. The treatment is always highly conventional, yet in many cases the characteristic features of the species are forcibly presented. The painted devices have reference in most cases to the markings of the plumage, yet they partake of the geometric character of the designs used in ordinary vase painting. The ground is the usual yellowish gray of the slip, and nearly all the pieces belong to the lost color and alligator groups.

A characteristic example is ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 253. The head is large and flat and the painted devices are in the red and black of the lost color group. The three notes are as follows:

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[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 253. Bird shaped whistle, with decoration in black, lost color ware--1/1.]

The piece given in Fig. 254 has the shape and markings of a hawk or eagle. It belongs to the alligator ware and is elaborately finished in semigeometric devices in red and black. All of these devices refer more or less definitely to the markings of the plumage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 254. Bird shaped whistle, with conventional decoration in red and black, alligator ware--1/1.]

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The example shown in Fig. 255 represents a bird with two heads, the shape and markings of which suggest one of the smaller song birds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 255. Two headed, bird shaped whistle, with conventional decoration in black, lost color ware--1/1.]

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I cannot say that the whistles were modeled and pitched with the idea of imitating the notes of particular birds, but it is possible for the practiced performer to reproduce the simpler songs and cries of birds with a good deal of accuracy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 256. Whistle in grotesque life form, with decorations in black and red, alligator ware--?.]