The flute
Bizovac, Valpovo, the 2nd half of the 19th century
wood, lead
cutting, drilling, turning, carving
length = 39 cm
width = 1,20 cm
length from the side to the bottom of the instrument = 35,5 cm
distance from the side to the first finger-hole = 16,1 cm
distance between the finger-holes = 2 cm
Soundtrack: Lana Moslavac, playing the described instrument from the museum collection
POH-456/1920
The Collection of Musical instruments by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač
The flute is made of wood and ornamented with a twig motive with thin leaves lightly carved between two playing holes, and with cast lead where the air is blown in. There are six playing holes.
The flute is a solo instrument most commonly played by shepherds to waste time, and Kuhač writes about the occasional competitions when “sometimes (...) a group of shepherds meet, testing one another’s playing skills, and they dare to outplay each other. The one who wins the competition hangs his flute at his belt, as a sign that he belongs to the expert players.” (Kuhač 1877: 12)