Southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border
Maya

Gourd, pigment
ca. 20th CE
Pipe Length: 20 in; Bell Diameter: 3.63 in
Aerophones – Wind Instruments Proper – Lip Vibrated

In addition to their conch shell trumpets, pre-Columbian people had other types of trumpets made of clay, wood, or gourd.  They were tubular in shape and some exceeded two feet in length as indicated in paintings of the Hom-Tahs Maya trumpets of Bonampak.  These rich iconography depictions of the representation of sonorous artifacts are most helpful.  Most often the gourd trumpets were made from a plant known as the acocote.  The acocote is a type of elongated gourd, somewhat shaped like a cucumber that can exceed two feet long, with a bell-shaped end.  

This is a small, modern day gourd trumpet also made from the acocote plant that shows the retention of the bell-shaped end.  Designs are painted with black ink throughout. These gourd trumpets are used today in traditional ceremonies and musical performances to evoke the sounds and spirit of the ancient Maya.  Modern musicians in Mexico and Guatemala also use these instruments for artistic expression and to explore the unique, atmospheric sounds they produce, creating a connection to Maya heritage in contemporary cultural and religious practices.