Bosnia & Herzegovina
Custom Hand-made

Wood (Maple)
Late 20^th century
Height: 11.25 in; Width: 2.63 in; Depth: 1.5 in
Winds – Woodwinds – Flutes 

This is a handmade ‘Frula’ (flute, also known as svirala or jedinka) that is field collected and marked from ‘Sarajevo.’  The frula is deeply tied to the shepherd culture and Balkan pastoral music, known for its haunting, airy sound.  It is played by blowing into a fipple mouthpiece, one that uses a built-in plug, or ‘fipple’ creating a windway to direct the air across a sharp edge (labium) to produce the sound. 

The frula is an ancient end-blown aerophone with six (6) finger holes on the front and offers a wide tonal range.  This frula, carved from wood, is highly decorated with geometric designs on front and back.