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A siurell (Catalan pronunciation: siuɾeʎ">Help:IPA/Catalan">siuɾeʎ is a traditional clay whistling figurine from
As an instrument, siurells were used by ranchers and shepherds to control their herds and even to compose songs which survive in some Mallorcan folk dances.
Ethnographer Guadalupe González-Hontoria noted the use of the verb "siular" in specific market contexts. Specifically, she documented that older family members would say "tu siularás" (or in Catalan, "tu siularàs") and "tu no siularás/siularàs" to children upon departing for the market. According to González-Hontoria, this salutation would indicate whether or not the child had been given pocket money, with the affirmative indicating that money had been given and the negative indicating not.
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
, Spain. Although there are similar figurines found in Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
, Ibiza
Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
, and Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
, their origin remains unknown. They are generally made of clay and whitewashed with lime.
Description
Siurells are typically small, white, green, and red anthropomorphic figurines with a whistle. However, the forms that siurells can take are varied: from fantastic, pseudo-mythical and mysterious figures such as animals, giants, demons and dwarfs, to contemporary, everyday figures such as motorcycles, air planes, and soccer players. They typically are a few inches tall, although they can range from 3 inches to 3 feet in size.Cultural Significance
As an instrument, siurells were used by ranchers and shepherds to control their herds and even to compose songs which survive in some Mallorcan folk dances.
Ethnographer Guadalupe González-Hontoria noted the use of the verb "siular" in specific market contexts. Specifically, she documented that older family members would say "tu siularás" (or in Catalan, "tu siularàs") and "tu no siularás/siularàs" to children upon departing for the market. According to González-Hontoria, this salutation would indicate whether or not the child had been given pocket money, with the affirmative indicating that money had been given and the negative indicating not.
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...
is quoted as having said "I observe iurellsconstantly. Each figure has its own physiognomy, even though they’re made in their hundreds. They’re very popular, especially among children... For me these dolls have an extraordinary importance, look at the expressivity of the face and the posture."
References
{{Authority control Ceramic sculptures in Spain