498 Construction of Ancient Mexican Terra-cotta [May, 
CONSTRUCTION OF ANCIENT MEXICAN TERRA- 
COTTA PITCH-PIPES AND FLAGEOLETS 
BY H. T. CRESSON. 
HE smooth internal structure of the pitch-pipes! and flageo- 
lets of baked clay, or terra-cotta, manufactured by the ancient 
Mexican potters, suggest that they have been modeled upon 
forms of some material capable of receiving a high degree e 
polish, probably bone or wood. The pitch-pipes shown in Figs. 
2—5 (Plate xv1) have been made in this way, and are the most in- 
genious specimens of aboriginal plastic art in the coliection of 
musical and other Mexican antiquities made by the Honorable J 
R. Poinsett, United States Minister to Mexico in 1830. Figs. ! 
and 2 (Plate xvi) are the front and profile views of a pitch-pip* | 
which is more primitive in style of construction than those showa 
_ in Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6 (Plate xvii), hereinafter described. An analys 
of its construction shows that it has been made in three parts, 
viz, a clay reed, Figs. 1, R, 4, R (Plate xvi), a meck-piece © 
flap, Fig. 10 (Plate xvi), and a body, Fig. 4,7. A ca . d 
piece of workmanship is shown in the modeling of the first : 
named portion, or clay reed, Fig. 4, R, by means of which i 
the air from the lungs of the performer is conveyed into thè 
sound hole, Fig. 4, S, thus communicating with the body of the 4 
instrument, Fig. 4, T. This part measures one and three-quart i 
inches in length, by half an inch in width at its broadest p | 
(mouth-piece), gradually contracting as it approaches the acute 
hole, Fig. 4, S, to about six-sixteenths of an inch. These J l 
urements have been made from thirteen different clay reeds, | 
in the average, vary but little from one another. A section } 
through a neck-piece, parallel to the opening of the air pee l 
shows that the form upon which the clay reeds, Figs. n gated | 
(Plate xv1) were modeled, had the shape of a thin, n ig 
wedge, an outline of which is given by the dotted lines ™ `; 
4,R. The flaps, Fig. 10, F, were then cut out of clay 
heretofore ae 
e discovery ti q 
collection PS 
a 
? As the instruments which are denominated pitch-pipes have 
been called whistles, it will be necessary to state that since the 
musical powers (most of the retort-shaped pipes in the Poinsett 
stop-holes which, when closed, change the pitch of their respectiv® 
will be impossible to class them as such. The name pitch-pipe bs, es 
adopted. See “Musical Instruments in the South Kensington i 
Engel, page 285. (1385~"64.) 
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