Pib-be-gwun or Siyontanka
A Native American flute is divided by an internal plug into two chambers. The player's breath is routed out of the tube as it encounters the plug and is redirected to the second chamber by a thin metal spacer positioned under a block (often carved as an animal) secured by a cord. Formerly restricted to men in sacred ritual and courting contexts, it is today an instrument with a growing social and secular repertoire.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pib-be-gwun or Siyontanka
- Date: 19th century
- Geography: Canada
- Culture: Native American (Chippewa or Ojibwa)
- Medium: Wood, skin
- Dimensions: L. 17 3/16 in. × Diam. 1 7/16 in. × D. w/ figure 3 3/16 in. (43.7 × 3.6 × 8.1 cm)
- Classification: Aerophone-Blow Hole-end-blown flute (vertical)
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.579
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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