Nose Flute (Mbita-Ni-Tanga, Bitu ni Vakatagi)
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "A SECTION OF BAMBOO CLOSED AT EACH END BY THE JOINTS. IT HAS EIGHT HOLES, ONE NEAR EACH END AND THREE IN A LINE BETWEEN. ONE IS ALSO PLACED OPPOSITE THE MIDDLE HOLE, THE OTHER TWO ON THE SIDES BETWEEN THE MIDDLE AND ITS OPPOSITE HOLE. ORNAMENTED WITH DESIGNS IN CHARRED LINES. THE FIJIAN NOSE FLUTE PRODUCE A LOW PLAINTIVE TONE WHICH IS NOT SLIGTHLY VARIED BY OPENING AND CLOSING THE HOLES. IT IS SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY THE VOICE, A UNION THAT IS GREATLY ADMIRED BY THE NATIVES, WHO FREQUENTLY APPLAUD BY CLAPPING OF HANDS. NO OTHER INSTRUMENT IS PLAYED BY THE WOMEN AS AN ACCOMPAINMENT TO THE VOICE. (FROM PRINTED LABEL 2.901) THE NOSE FLUTE ACCORDING TO E.B. TAYLOR IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN INDIA, BECAUSE A BRAHMAN WOULD DEFILE HIMSELF BY TOUCHING WITH HIS MOUTH WHAT A LOW CASTE MAN HAD TOUCHED WITH HIS. OUT OF INDIA PROPER THE NOSE FLUTE IS PLAYED IN SIAM, HENCE IT MAY BE FOLLOWED INTO BORNEO AND ACROSS TO FIJI, THE SOCIETY, FRIENDLY AND HARVY GROUP, AND DOWN TO NEW ZEALAND AND HAS EVEN BEEN MET WITH IN NORTH AUSTRALIA."
label: Notes
content: Geometric pokerwork decoration.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Fiji, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Fijian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E2901-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Nose Flute
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 69.8 cm
label: Diameter - Object
content: 5 cm
label: Length - Object
content: 70 cm
label: Diameter - Object
content: 4.5 cm