The whistle - cuvik
Stubica, the 2nd half of the 19th century
wood (cherry), wood (hazel)
cutting, carving
length = 8,4 cm
širina = 1,4 cm
POH-440/1920
The Collection of Musical instruments by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač
The cuvik or čuvik was used for bird calling. The instrument is made of two square pieces of wood. Between the two pieces a figure made of cherry wood is inserted. Blowing air into the slit produced sound.
This instrument was made of hazel wood by a shepherd from Stubica, and it was given to Kuhač for his Collection by his friend, a highschool teacher, Stjepan Kućak. “The children in the village can imitate bird sounds almost to the level of deceit. The name of the instrument is onomatopeic, it imitates the sound that goldfinch makes when flying in the air, and the sound is: cu-vik! cu-vik!” (Kuhač 1877: 135).
