Lot 8C
Pre-Columbian, Central Andes, Huari (Wari) culture, ca. 600 to 1000 CE. A pair of ancient Huari flutes, known as quenas, each carefully carved from llama bone. Both instruments are pierced with four finger holes along the shaft, their form adapted from the natural contours of bone and shaped into resonant wind instruments. The mouthpieces are notched, one with a distinct V-shaped cut, a feature characteristic of traditional quena design and essential to producing their distinctive sound. The surfaces bear a smooth patina, their pale tones enriched by centuries of age. The larger flute shows a subtly flared end, while the smaller retains a more compact profile. Played together, they would have produced the haunting, breathy notes typical of Andean music, used to accompany song, dance, and ritual performance. Size of larger: 7.6" L x 1.3" W (19.3 cm x 3.3 cm)
The quena is among the oldest instruments of the Andes, deeply tied to ceremonial and agricultural life. Bone flutes such as these carried symbolic weight: they transformed the remains of an animal vital to Andean subsistence into a conduit of sacred sound. As such, they likely served both musical and ritual functions, bridging the realms of human, animal, and divine. Parallels have been found in Huari and Tiwanaku contexts, underscoring their cultural and spiritual importance during the Middle Horizon.
Provenance: private Colorado collection, USA; ex-Arte Primitivo, February 28, 2025, lot 352; ex-private West Virginia, USA collection, acquired from the late 1960s - 1970s
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#197075
- Condition: Reeds are missing - likely disintegrated - thus the instruments are no longer playable. Some chipping and nicks as shown, but otherwise both are intact and excellent with smooth patina to bone and some encrustations to interiors.
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