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Courting Flute

ca. 1870
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
An abstract likeness of a calling elk is incorporated into this musical instrument. The head of the majestic animal reaches forward, mouth open; the antlers lie back across its outstretched neck. A finely carved owl faces the player near the flute’s mouthpiece. Many Plains Indian societies associated the elk with love and passion. As part of courtship, Lakota suitors played flutes to mimic a bull elk’s whistling call.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Courting Flute
  • Date: ca. 1870
  • Geography: United States, North or South Dakota
  • Culture: Lakota (Teton Sioux)
  • Medium: Wood, pigment, native-tanned leather, feather
  • Dimensions: Length: 23 7/8 in. (60.6 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Musical Instruments
  • Credit Line: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Purchase: the Donald D. Jones Fund for American Indian Art (2005.5.3)
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing