Embedded Files
Pigeon Whistles in the Laufer Collection
Pigeon Whistles in the Laufer Collection
Figure 1. Taxidermied pigeon with pigeon whistle;© The Field Museum - CC BY-NC, A102279, Catalog No. 126290
[1] Mitchell Clark, “Chinese Instruments in the Galpin Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with a Focus on the Sound-Makers."
[2] Berthold Laufer, “Chinese Pigeon Whistles,” 394.
[3] Berthold Laufer, “Pigeon Whistles,” 3.
Pigeon whistles are a large component of this subcollection in the Laufer collections. These pigeon whistles, known as geling, are attached to a pigeon’s tail feathers with a length of wire. Thus, when the pigeon flies, air passing through the whistle produces a melodic, whistling sound that was iconic of early twentieth-century Beijing. The way the whistles are attached to the pigeons can be seen in Figure 1. There are multiple purposes for the sound of the whistle—for one’s enjoyment of the whistling sound, to allow the owner to recognize the birds, or to scare away birds of prey.[1]
Laufer, however, seemed to disagree with this latter theory behind the use of pigeon whistles. In a 1908 Scientific American article, Laufer wrote that “there seems, however, little reason to believe that a hungry hawk could be induced by this innocent music to keep aloof from satisfying his appetite; and this doubtless savors of an after-thought which came up long after the introduction of this usage, through the attempt to give a rational and practical interpretation of something that has no rational origin whatsoever; for it is not the pigeon that profits from this practice, but merely the human ear, which feasts on the wind-blown tunes, and derives aesthetic pleasure from this music.”[2] In a separate short article for the 1934 issue of the Field Museum bulletin, Laufer reiterates this belief.[3]
Collected in Beijing during Laufer’s 1923 Marshall Field Expedition to China, the Laufer collection of pigeon whistles has examples of at least three of the four main types of pigeon whistles. The four types of pigeon whistles are the tubular type, platform type, gourd type, and combined type. The tubular type of pigeon whistle consists of a set of pipes attached together side-by-side, an example of which can be seen in the top left of Figure 2. The platform type is similar to the tubular type, but instead of the pipes being arranged side-by-side, the pipes are clustered together. The gourd type is made out of a small gourd, and can be seen the bottom row of Figure 2. And the combined type is a combination of tubes and gourds, an example of which can be seen in the middle row of Figure 2.[1] [2] The pigeon whistles in the Laufer collection were usually made of reed, gourds, and bamboo. In addition, many of the pigeon whistles were lacquered to help protect the surface, and pigments were added, likely for decorative purposes.[3] The names of the makers were also often carved onto the whistles.[4]
[1] China Today, “The Pigeon Whistle: A Defining Sound of Old Beijing."
[2] More China, “The Beijing Pigeon Whistle - and Pigeon training tips | More China.”
[3] Berthold Laufer, “Chinese Pigeon Whistles,” 394.
[4] Berthold Laufer, “Pigeon Whistles,” 3.
Figure 2. Various pigeon whistles in the Field Museum’s collection; © The Field Museum - CC BY-NC, A102280, Catalog No. 126312, 126313, 126315, 233835, 233838, 235161
Chinese Pigeon Whistles: in History & Today
Chinese Pigeon Whistles: in History & Today
Pigeon whistles have a long history. Historical records date pigeon whistles back to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127 C.E.), during which the Western Xia army used pigeon whistles as military signals during war with the Song army.[1] Pigeon whistles then became common amongst the general populace during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 C.E.), and the techniques of making pigeon whistles developed further during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 C.E.).[2]
Yet despite this long history and the fact that the sound of pigeon whistles is a classic sound of early twentieth-century Beijing, few craftsmen today know how to make these whistles. And finding someone in Beijing today who raises and trains pigeons is almost as rare. Urbanization and the disappearance of siheyuan, traditional courtyard-style residences, along with the scarcity of craftsmen who know how to make pigeon whistles, have contributed to the decline of domestic pigeons in Beijing, and by extension, pigeon whistles. [3] And so, in 2014, the process of making these whistles became a Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Zhang Baotong, a Beijing master craftsman of pigeon whistles who had previously learned from Tao Zuowen, one of eight famous masters of whistle-making, was recognized as the successor of this craft. Zhang Baotong now has two apprentices of his own, each of who trains four others, thus helping to keep this craft alive.[4]
[1] Jiao Feng, “The Pigeon Whistle: A Defining Sound of Old Beijing."
[2] Ibid.
[3] China Today, “The Pigeon Whistle: A Defining Sound of Old Beijing.”
[4] Ibid.
References
References
by Aiko Johnston
Augustin, Richard. “Sound of Cities: Musical Memories of Old Beijing.” Sound of Life, June 22, 2020. https://www.soundoflife.com/blogs/places/sound-of-cities-colin-siyuan-chinnery-beijing-installation
China Today. “The Pigeon Whistle: A Defining Sound of Old Beijing.” November 19, 2019. Video, 7:25. http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ctenglish/2018/cs/201911/t20191119_800185399.html
Clark, Mitchell. "Chinese Instruments in the Galpin Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with a Focus on the Sound-Makers." The Galpin Society Journal 59 (2006): 207-65. Accessed July 1, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25163867.
Feng, Jiao. “The Pigeon Whistle: A Defining Sound of Old Beijing.” China Today, November 29, 2019. http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ctenglish/2018/cs/201911/t20191129_800186426.html.
Laufer, Berthold. “Chinese Pigeon Whistles.” Scientific American 98, no. 22 (1908): 394. Accessed July 1, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26018442.
Laufer, Berthold. “Pigeon Whistles,” Field Museum News 5, no. 9: 3. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/25721#page/35/mode/1up
More China. “The Beijing Pigeon Whistle - and Pigeon training tips | More China.” February 1, 2019. Youtube Video, 4:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i5xtadHPRA&ab_channel=%E6%9B%B4%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BDMoreChina
Straub, Virginia. 1971. “mid-sky charming girls.” Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin. 42 (10):14-15. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/21712#page/3/mode/1up
Page updated
Report abuse