Ko-Tze

Unknown

late 19th century · Gourd, bamboo · Musical Instruments

Whistles like this one, made of bamboo and gourd, weigh only a few ounces. They are attached to the tails of pigeons, and are heard as the birds fly overhead. When attached to a carrier pigeon, the whistle alerted the recipient of the bird's arrival. Each of these ko tzes is inscribed with the character for "loyality," perhaps in reference to the faithful homing of each pigeon.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 19th century

Medium

Gourd, bamboo

Culture

Chinese

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889