The Mysterious Sounds of Peruvian Whistling Bottles
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| free admission |
| no ticket required |
| 12 years and older |
| English, German |
| Americas, 2nd floor, Open Storage Americas (Room 206) |
| Belongs to: Ethnological Collections and Asian Art |
Whistling bottles are sound-producing clay vessels, typically from prehispanic Peru. They require water and movement to produce sounds. In many ancient cultures of Peru water was regarded as a divine element and hence archeologists believe that whistling bottles played an important role in ritual contexts. Whistling bottles come in many shapes and forms and also their interior construction can vary enormously and effect their sound-producing capabilities. Looking at this complexity, it is easy to understand why they have puzzled archaeologists for generations.
Recently, archeo-musicologist Gonzalo Rodriguez has made exact replicas of some of the whistling bottles from the Berlin collection. During this tour, he will provide a short overview of Peruvian whistling bottles in general and demonstrate some of his replicas so visitors can hear them for themselves. Maurice Mengel, curator for musical instruments at the Ethnologisches Museum, accompanies him.
The tour will be held in English. Questions in German and Spanish are also welcome.