Three Small Bird Figures

Sculpture~

The Pianistas were a very busy people, but they were also adept at utilizing their free time. During the long winter months, activities were created to pass the time and entertain. The results from these periods of somewhat aimless activity were sculpture and toys. Adults would put together objects for their own amusement from the leftover materials around them. Some of the objects may have taken the form of freestanding effigies; some would be hung on the wall of the dwelling. The mechanisms of the Pianoforte allowed many of these objects to recreate movement, which may have symbolized the activity in the warmer months. Children would use whatever scraps of materials leftover to make their own figurines, dolls, games and other amusements. (See Dancing Bird Figure) A favorite game many children played was to stare into a box that had moving figures in it until they were in a kind of trance, and then fell asleep.

This mask/sculpture has a crank that activates the mouth of the central figure.

Nervous Machine

Grave Guardian

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Spirit Under Attack

Bird Spirit Man

The head of this ceremonial effigy can be rotated to make its wings move.

Snake Totem (Mask)

Object # 1

Click to enlarge

Dancing Bird Figure (Miss "B")

click to play "Dancing Bird" video

Click to learn more about Miss "B"

To make the bird dance, the upper "key" is gently tapped up and down. The figure can also be removed from its support to function as a marionette. To see a video of the bird in action, click above.