DCM 0897: Anonymous, North American Indian (Winnebago) Courting Flute (Vertical Whistle Flute)

DCM ledger: "American Indian, Winnebago." The seam on each side is sealed with a glued-on strip of linen.
Instrument type: Courting Flute (Vertical Whistle Flute)
Medium: Soft wood, stained clay red and decorated in 2 places with leather sleeves of colored beadwork (original?). Animal horn mouthpipe, lead flue plate.; 65.4 cm.
Key Holes System: 0/5 holes plus 4 vent apertures at lower end.
Mark Maximum: No mark.
Condition: Worm damage between fingerholes 2 and 3.
Provenance: N. E. Carter, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 28 Sept. 1929.

The Dayton C. Miller collection in the Library of Congress, contains nearly 1,700 flutes and other wind instruments, statuary, iconography, books, music, trade catalogs, tutors, patents, and other materials mostly related to the flute. It includes both Western and non-Western examples of flutes from around the world, with at least 460 European and American instrument makers represented. Items in the collection date from the 16th to the 20th century.