The figure of a monkey often appears as an adornment on some musical instruments. In Mayan mythology, the half brothers and sisters of the hero twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué transformed into artisan monkeys, Hun Batz and Hun Chuen. The monkey is related to fertility, sexuality and is the nahual of the god of music, pleasure and play. In this example, the mouthpiece is located at the back of the whistle, just on the right shoulder of the character.

Gonzalo Sánchez

A whistle which replicates an anthropomorphic character standing with his head covered by a headdress or helmet. Despite the fact that it is eroded and slightly worn, it can be seen that it was made quickly, and seems as though the craftsman did not take much interest in its production; the legs are wide and fat, perhaps because that are used as a stand; the chest is puffed out like that of a dove, and is draped with a circular adornment.

Its attire is unrecognizable due to the erosion of the piece, which has calcareous concretions, a feature of objects that have spent a long time in aquatic, marine and saline areas. At the back there is a handle sculpted in the shape of an S that would adapt to the hand where it would be held to make the figurine create musical sounds; the mouthpiece is on the left arm of the figure and the hole in the right side of the chest would allow it to sound by blowing.

OBSERVATIONS

Given that these figures were produced to be placed in burials, as has been seen in the findings from the island of Jaina and other archaeological sites, it is very likely that they had a specific role in the burial ritual, as even today there are whistles that are produced specifically for the celebration of the Day of the Dead in the region of northern Yucatan.

Ana Garcia Barrios