Musical instruments as sculptures?

Modern sculpture can be wild, and we all know this. It can range from strange setups (with hidden meanings), to classical busts (of rich people with bad taste). However, the definition of what a sculpture is becomes very convoluted in regards to the ancient world. This is primarily because it’s difficult to identify the intended purpose of an archeological find, when there’s no documentation to support what it was. Archeologists and scientists have to guess what it is, and what it was used for. In that sense, anything from the ancient world can be a sculpture.

For example, today’s featured work of art from the Metropolitan Museum (NYC) is a trumpet, masquerading to be a sculpture. And actually, the results are fascinating! Take a look for yourself (image above). The elegant and elongated shape, together with the complementing and vivid pattern, creates something that Michelangelo would have strived for in his sculptures. In the end, it’s intended purpose was clear—a pretty trumpet. Although, it’s impossible to determine whether it was completely decorative (sitting on someone’s shelf) or an ancient Chinese ‘bling’, for the musician that played it.

For more information about this sculpture/trumpet, and for very useful and interesting updates, check the Met Museum’s Facebook. And since Facebook’s original use was as a photo-sharing network, you’ll find plenty of images of new and hip artworks.