Old, authentic Sepik River flutes from Papua New Guinea are highly sacred ceremonial instruments. This one, made of bamboo with a carved wood, crocodile stopper, is from the East Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. It's 54 inches long and dates to the first quarter of the 20th century.
The flute was collected in Ambunti, the remote, traditional heartbeat of the Sepik River region, known for its deep-rooted crocodile traditions. The crocodile flute is central to the male initiation ritual in which novices undergo "crocodile scarification." (Their skin is cut to resemble crocodile scales, marking their transition to manhood.)
During initiations and other ceremonies, the sacred flutes are played in pairs -- male and female and out of sight. Women, children, and uninitiated men are forbidden from seeing the flutes being played. The low, haunting sound produced is believed to be the voices of the clan’s ancestor spirits and crocodile spirits.
The defining feature of the flute is the wooden stopper. It's carved as a crocodile -- the totemic animal of the clan, and the essence of the power of the spirit.
CONDITION: In general, very good condition, showing the expected signs of age. The stopper has been nailed into the end of the flute with two nails. One caused a crack in the bamboo. I suspect that the nails are not original to the flute.