Small Feko Flute, Set Of 2 Handmade Wooden Whistle, Vintage Small Ocarina Flute, Folk Timor Indonesia Flute, Ethnic World Music Instrument

$36USD

Small Feko Flute, Set Of 2 Handmade Wooden Whistle, Ocarina Flute, Folk Timor Island Musical Instrument, Ethnic World Music Instrument, Hand Carved Flute Whistle, Barrel Shaped Wooden Flute, Vintage Woodwinds Instrument, Rustic Primitive Wooden Flute, Asian Ethnic Flute Whistle, Small Rustic Wooden Whistle, Carved Ocarina Flute, 4 Holes Flute, Decorative Musical Instrument, Folk Music Flute Instrument, Ethnic Rustic Home Decor, Pacific Islands House Decor, Boho Chic Decor, Rare Unique Musical Instrument, #15791540.2

This listing is for a set of two

The feku is a wooden flute that I encountered all over Timor. It seems to be an essential part of any rural Timorese’s everyday carry: just as we might always bring along our keys and smartphone, nearly every Timorese man always keeps their feku close at hand (I never heard of women playing them, but I can’t categorically say they don’t.) 

While it’s easy to call the feku a whistle, its actually in the class of musical instruments called ocarinas. An ocarina is what organologists call a vessel flute - that is, rather than a typical straight cylinder as found in most flutes, the interior of an ocarina is curved, even egg-shaped. This interior carving is not possible with the bamboo usually used for flutes in Indonesia, so the feku is carefully carved from kayu merah, a kind of redwood. Timorese count each hole, even the top and bottom, when talking about feku, and so an instrument with a small hole in the front and back of the feku is said to have four holes - this seems to be the most common. Just as with most ocarinas, every hole is fingered (apart from the one used for blowing), including the bottom hole, which is covered with the index finger.

In a very good vintage condition!

Length: Flute 1 -4.5" inches / Flute 2 -3.95" inches 

Weight approx 26 grams

All measurements are approximated.

♕