2014Europa - Folk Musical Instruments (Flutes) - Set

In the organization of PostEurop, special stamps with the EUROPA logo that every year has a unique central theme for all its members are issued. The theme for 2014 is folk musical instruments, Croatian Post Mostar will be presenting Herzegovinian pipes and dual flutes (dvojnice), instruments that were made and played by our ancestors, and are played till this day.
Dual flutes or Herzegovinian instruments are in fact two flutes that are made from one piece of wood in that way both can be played simultaneously. It is most often made out of dry maple wood, plum, cherry, cornelian cherry or "kljen“ wood. Every hole has a labial opening, separated for a couple of centimeters from the above end, in which are located whistles from ash wood. The holes for screening are punctured in a parallel manner, on one side three or four, and on the other side four to five. The melody is always dual from the dual flute, and six tones can maximally be played from each octave.
Herzegovinian pipes are also a dual instrument that have on each side an equal number of holes and are attached to tanned animal skin (goat's or sheep). On the jugular part of the pipe is placed the top part of maple wood or elder wood with dual flutes in which there are placed two whistles. As decoration, on the front and one back leg are placed boar tusks, while on one back leg and anal opening a wooden decorative box 10 - 12 cm of size is placed in order for the bellow to close. In the central part of the abdominal part, a blower is placed that has an irreversible vent. Specificity of playing Herzegovinian pipes is that the melodic follow up is played on the top two or three arrays of holes, and the melody is played on the lower remaining array of holes. (Željka Šaravanja)