Central Coast of Peru
Chimu culture

Blackware Pottery
ca. 900 CE to 1470 CE
Length: 8 in, Width: 4.25 in; Height: 6.25 in
Aerophones – Wind Instruments Proper – Edge-blown Flutes

The Chimú occupied the northern coast of what is now Peru, ca. 900 to 1470 CE.  The Chimú and Chancay are not the same people; they were two distinct cultures that coexisted on the Peruvian coast before the Inca conquest. The Chimú were a large, centralized kingdom with a capital at Chan Chan prior to the arrival of the Inca.  These coastal people were engineers and artisans as reflected in their artwork.  Objects crafted in the Images of people and animal forms most likely functioned as ceremonial pieces.  In this area, many of the zoomorphic forms included seabirds, otters, and fish.

This Chimú Whistling Jar is a mold-formed blackware pottery vessel, with two spherical chambers that produce a whistling sound.  The object is partially filled with water/liquid in the plain cylindrical spout that leads to the bottom chambers.  When tilted forward so that the water/liquid in one chamber moves to the second chamber, it forces the air to pass up through the neck and opening in the beak of this seabird head creating a whistling sound.   It is believed that the Chimú would play several whistling jars at once to create a relaxing and meditative atmosphere.

Resource: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/501305