Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

That's incredible.  Thanks Kiku.

I actually have an old human femur (thigh bone) I was going to ask Ken if he could make a shakuhachi out of it for me.

I had a brief period (about 8 years) with dealing in osteological specimens (long story), and wound up with an odd collection of stuff including human skulls. I regret selling the last skeleton, but I did keep about 10 human skulls for the permanant collection. I still have a box of mismatched parts including a complete spinal column, a jar of teeth, ribs etc. and the femur, but I think the femur may be too dried out to make anything out of without cracking.

Very few people experience my home decor without emotional scars.

I had a friend years ago who had a HUGE collection of artifacts from Tibet and Nepal including drums and bowls made from human crania and trumpets made from thigh-bones. Nothing I have is that old or "culturally associated" - mostly medical/museum-type specimens.

Perhaps many of you saw this recent news item on an old bone flute recovered from a cave in Germany.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news … ument.html

I asked baroque flute maker Rod Cameron how does one blow a notched flute like this and he replied:

"Notched flutes are very common in ancient bone flutes and I have made replicas that are now in Scottish museums. The notch is a fast way to produce a rough Shakuhachi blowing edge. It gives a focused breath target and is blown exactly as you would your flutes, end blown and hunt for the sweet spot. Hold it exactly as you would your own designs."

Best regards,

Alan