Pigeon whistle

A gourd whistle with three pairs of sub-whistles. The pigeon whistle, known in China as geling 鴿鈴 or geshao 鴿哨, is a small musical instrument belonging to the Aeolian group of musical instruments. It is attached to the tail of a pigeon with the help of a spindle, so that it emits a sound when the bird flies. Some pigeon whistles are made entirely of bamboo, both tubes and lid, and some of gourd. They are often artfully made from gourds in combination with small bamboo flutes and a larger bamboo tube. Gourds of various kinds are used: after they are hollowed out, a bamboo whistle and the upper part of the pigeon whistle are inserted into the hollowed opening, which acts as a kind of cap, while several smaller bamboo flutes are inserted into the body of the gourd. On the base, each flute has a plate with a hole in it that allows the instrument to be attached to the tail of a pigeon. This specimen is a gourd whistle of medium size with three pairs of sub-whistles. It is distinguished by its colourfulness and black floral patterns on a red background. (KH)