SHELL TRUMPETS

Archaeological evidence shows that conch shell trumpets were in use in Mesoamerica from the Pre-Classic period all the way through the Post-Classic period. They appear in paintings at Naj Tunich Cave and on several painted ceramic vessels.

Shell trumpets were also carved onto objects made of various materials including sculpted stone and were incised on bone.32 The functional use of the conch shell as a trumpet is multi-faceted. One of the reasons for this is that conch shells themselves had many associations.

In Aztec society, the conch shell’s main association was with water, particularly the sea, as both were considered to be the origin of life. It was also strongly associated with the aquatic underworld in which it was used to create humankind. The shell trumpet held a function in numerous priestly duties, was considered a form of audible communication with the supernatural realm, and had the ability to call deities or ancestral spirits.

In his thesis, Bézy analyzes iconographic themes of shell trumpets and identifies six basic types where shell trumpets are depicted. These six scene categories are Supernatural, the Hunt, Pageantry, Procession, the Ballgame, and Dwarves. He writes that, “A study of such varied iconography offers an emic view into the contexts in which shell trumpets were used. The representations indicate that shell trumpets were used both by humans, supernaturals, and supernatural impersonators”.

The vase K1453 has the only scene which depicts a shell trumpet being played in a palace setting (Fig. 1). Reents-Budet describes this scene as showing a divination ritual. Seven individuals are portrayed in the throne scene. Honey ferments in pots as a seated lord gazes into a mirror. It is being held by a dwarf who is completely covered in blue paint while another dwarf drinks from a gourd. Four other attendants are also depicted. On the left side of the composition, just barely peeking into the scene from behind an architectural feature, are three trumpets.

Two of the trumpets are wooden horns while the lowest is a shell trumpet. The only parts of the musicians that are visible are the hands of the shell trumpet player holding his instrument. Of particular note here is that the musician playing the shell trumpet has one hand inserted into the shell, acting as what Bézy refers to as a hand in mute technique. Typically, a shell trumpet produces one prominent note. However, by adjusting one's embouchure or placing the hands or fingers into the shell, differing notes can be achieved with such variety as to allow multi-tone songs to be played.

There are several other scenes depicting shell trumpets in various settings. K0791 is a complex dance scene in which a musician playing a shell trumpet appears to dance or float above a jaguar. Next to them, another musician plays a flute and a rattle. K2731 depicts a ballgame scene in which a musician is seen blowing a shell trumpet. A shell trumpet also appears during a funerary procession on K6317. In K8738 we see a warrior with a captive seated at his feet. In front of them two painted musicians play the shell trumpet. It is obvious then that shell trumpets appear in a variety of settings.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the depictions of shell trumpets but is a large enough sample from which to draw some basic conclusions. Shell trumpets are most frequently depicted singularly, that is, one shell trumpet per scene, though there are exceptions. It is also worth noting that the types of activities they are involved in are, for the most part, largely public ones or those with great importance attached to them. Only once is a shell trumpet depicted in an interior palatial setting.