Musician Playing Panpipes

Room 9, Vitrine 115

Ceramic, metal
Peruvian Northern Coast
Florescent Epoch (1 AD – 800 AD)
ML012778, ML040216, ML040217, ML100812

The so-called Indian flute, also known as panpipes, is a typical Andean musical instrument and to this day it forms one of the most important elements of Peruvian folkloric music.

In ancient Peru this instrument was played in ceremonies. In Mochica depictions of the dance of the dead or scenes associated with the underworld, musicians play the panpipes before a confrontation. This instrument is played in pairs, reinforcing the sense of a search for contact between opposites.

Gilded copper Mochica whistle; Mochica ceramic with a ritual dance scene and musician playing panpipes; Nasca culture panpipes.