G'day Alison,

Without seeing them, I would guess that $60 is a good price for 7 of almost anything these days. When I first got interested in Chinese flutes (~1973) I could buy the simplest type for $1 loose! The boxed fancy models cost between $4 and $10 ... and they had a set of 12 fairly spartan looking longer models in a leatherette covered wooden case, complete with extra papers, a bore cleaner and little compartments for the tassles - and the garlic - for $60.

I know that one bloke would buy two or three sets, take them round to Paddy's Markets (which, BTW, was originally Padi's markets - the Chinese markets) and sell them for $120 a set.

I suspect that "Elk's Blood" may be a natural gum like "Dragon's blood" (or gum tragacanth), used as a fixative in glazing and enamelling work - as well as traditional medicine. The idea of using garlic is to be able to quickly adjust the tension, so it needs to be a water soluble gum with just enough adhesion to let go when you want to fiddle with the membrane.

If you have small double-ended, cross-blown flutes with holes at each end, they sound like a small shepherds'(?) instrument I once heard played by the flautist who did the sound track for The Last Emporor. They were louder than any of his larger flutes and he had to turn off the PA and turn away from the audience at Gan Aim folk club (old Irish-centred club at the Taverner's Arms) so as not to deafen us!

Although, if you can play them like an ocarina ... that is probably what they are - whistle-ended vessel flutes moulded around a water lily bulb instead of the sweet potato used to make the European ocarina. These generally have 4 or five holes, but you would recognise them, since they are commonly seen on stalls at folk festivals, usually with a leather thong. Possibly they are a bamboo or bone variant playing a simpler scale (such as the pentatonic scale usually associated with eastern music).

You will have to take a few JPGs of them and send the pix to me so I can hazard better guesses, but I reckon you got value for money - as long as you get to play them.

Regards,

Bob Bolton