Elk Effigy Flute

The elk was closely associated with love and passion in many Plains Indian societies. As a part of courtship, Lakota suitors played flutes like this in imitation of the bull elk’s whistling call. Here, the carver has perfectly integrated the abstracted representation of the elk within the body of the musical instrument. The stylized image of the majestic animal is at once realistic and mythic, the perfect depiction of a calling elk: head extended with mouth open and antlers lying back across the outstretched neck. Remarkably, the expression on the face resonates with passion and longing—the emotional state associated with the flute’s purpose. The delicately carved, adjustable stop, a small block over the open slot near the mouthpiece, incorporates an owl facing the player.