Siurells – Clay whistles

To make a siurell the first step is to model the different parts before joining them together with “llamuga” a lighter clay. The following step is to make the whistle, which is the key part that gives its name to the siurell. A “tronquet d’albó” and a cane are used to form the chamber and pierce the air holes, respectively. This is what gives the whistle is characteristic sound. After the parts are put together, the siurell is left to dry before firing. Once fired, the figure is coated with whitewash, which is responsible for its typical white colour. The process consists in holding the siurell by the whistle and dipping it in whitewash, being careful not to whitewash the mouth of the whistle. Finally the siurell is painted in green, red, blue and yellow strokes.

The whitewash coat is common to all “siurells”. However, the colour strokes change depending on where the figures have been made. For instance, in Inca they are painted in blue and yellow and in Marratxí in green and red. The traditional paint, which was extracted from natural pigments, aniline, red ochre, etc, has been replaced by synthetic paint which is easier to manufacture. The strokes can be arranged in different ways, depending on the artisan. The artisan applies different patterns like parallel strokes of different colours or perpendicular strokes and a combination of long strokes and dots of another colour to form a motif very similar to a flower.

Siurells are mainly produced in Inca, Sa Cabaneta, Llubí, Felanitx, Sineu, Artà, Inca, Santa Maria and Consell. Marratxí is the most important production area and houses the main potteries of the island.

The origin of siurells remains a mystery. Their age, meaning and origin are unknown. Some think that it is only a toy while others wonder if they had a religious meaning. Several coincidences and similarities link them to archaeological objects found in Crete, Cyprus, Greece and Sardinia. Many researchers are investigating the true origin of siurells but, at the moment they are just drawing up hypotheses without reaching a definitive conclusion. Some experts believe that it comes from an Arab toy. However, popular belief says that they were brought to the island by the Phoenicians. Siurells are often seen as a reflection of Bronze Age traditions. It was a child’s toy and a tool for shepherds to control their herds. In addition, shepherds played songs with the whistle. The painter Joan Miró was deeply influenced by this mysterious toy. He was the most popular enthusiast of siurells.