flute

Dionisio Quilla crafts a beautiful quena flute, an instrument dating to the Inca Empire. Quena means "many-holed object" in the Quechua language. It is said to have entranced birds to soar above its player, which may be no wonder given that early versions the quena were fashioned from condor bone. Quilla crafts this piece from diablo fuerte or yellow wood and paints it by hand. It includes a bright fabric carrying case.

Swaying and dancing to a hypnotic tune, Kokopelli abandons himself to the rhythms of his music. His long hair blows in the breeze as he pipes a plaintive melody on his flute. J. Blas sculpts the legendary deity in elaborate detail. He first cuts metal sheets and hammers them into three-dimensional shape. Welded together, they are adorned with airy cut-out work and finished with lead-free paint.

Kokopelli dates back to pre-historic times; regarded as a deity, he is usually depicted with a humped back, playing a flute. Ancient legends suggest Kokopelli was a Toltec trader who traveled from central Mexico to the United States' southwestern deserts and mountains, where he is featured in the form of rock art dating thousands of years. Kokopelli played his flute to announce his arrival and according to Pueblo legends, he carried seeds, babies and blankets in his hump which he offered to the maidens he seduced.

To the Hopi, Kokopelli plays his flute to draw heat from the Earth and thus make the seeds grow. His name derives from Koko ("wood") and pilau ("hump"). Kokopelli is believed to be present whenever life comes forth from seed – plant or animal.

Working in soft, neutral tones, Sunil Jaiswal conveys the sensations of peace invoked by Krishna's dulcet flute. A peacock, symbol of India, listens enthralled; the bird also represents this beloved Hindu deity. A dove joins them with a message of peace.

Ten colorful doves flutter along the length of a decorative garland. By Jaime Hernandez, the birds are crafted by hand and painted with floral motifs to bring a festive air to any setting.

Peace-bearing doves bestow love and friendship as they flutter through the blue skies, representing the duality of feminine and masculine energies as they form a bond between the brain and heart. Floral hues and calming doves symbolize the mutual harmony of nature as it exists in the absence of human disturbance.

Andean artisan Asunta Pelaez creates 'Sky Doves' at her Lima workshop, mastering the centuries-old reverse painted glass technique, a style that has become her lifelong passion.

Pelaez paints her multicolor design on the reverse side of a pane of glass that she places in a white-painted wooden frame. Inspired by the colors of the sky, Pelaez paints in blue and white to evoke a sensation of calm and guardianship.