Learn to Make a Peruvian Whistling Vessel
A self-paced online ceramics course in the ancient Andean craft of the huaco silbador — dual-chambered water whistling vessels that sing as water moves through clay.
“The sound is a bridge between the earth and the spirit.”
For whom
This course is for you if…
Ceramics builders
From curious beginners to intermediate makers ready to expand into complex hollow-form construction.
Musicians & sound healers
Build a functional instrument for ceremony and sound therapy, and learn why moving water makes it sing.
Andean & pre-Columbian lovers
Add craft and context to your fascination with huacos and the cultures who made them.
Future studio visitors
A foundation for anyone planning to study in person with me here in Ecuador.
Over 3 hours of clay, water and sound
In over three hours of course content, I'll walk you through my process for building a working water whistling vessel — sharing every tip I've learned over the last seven years, like:
- How to make an adequate whistle
- How to build the chambers and tubes
- How to combine all these elements successfully
The goal is to make a working water whistling vessel on your first try — but remember that mastering these pieces takes practice. The course is open to all levels, though it helps to have some experience with clay.
The curriculum
Sixteen lessons, one singing vessel
Before We Begin
Let's Start Building
All About Whistles
Completing Your Whistling Vessel
4 chapters · 16 lessons · over 3 hours of pre-recorded HD video, plus a Pre-Columbian whistling bottles PDF — yours to revisit for life.
"The huaco does not whistle for the ear. It whistles for the spirit that moves the water within."
Beyond the course
Services from the studio
Sign up for the online class, commission a handbuilt ceramic piece, learn from traditional makers on a ceramics tour in Ecuador, or organize an in-person workshop.
Online ceramics class
Learn to make clay instruments — Peruvian whistling vessels, ocarinas, flutes and whistles — from the comfort of home.
Read more →
Commissioned pieces
Request a unique, handbuilt whistling vessel, flute or ocarina for collectors, musicians and sound healers. Please order well in advance.
Inquire →
Ceramic tours in Ecuador
Visit and learn from traditional ceramists across Ecuador — from Kichwa makers in the Amazon to the women potters of Calceta.
Read more →
In-person workshops
Nothing beats learning hands-on. I teach ocarinas, whistles and whistling vessels in person — usually in Ecuador, sometimes beyond.
Get in touch →Want a finished vessel instead of a course?
I take on a limited number of commissioned Peruvian whistling vessels each year — handbuilt instruments for collectors, musicians and sound therapists. These take several weeks to build and fire, so reach out early.
Commission a vessel
Guided by Sandra ten Zijthoff
"I don't see myself so much as an artist, but as a maker — keeping alive the quiet conversation between hands, clay, and memory."
Sandra Elena Pardo – ten Zijthoff is a Peruvian-Dutch ceramist based in Tumbaco, Ecuador. Drawn to the ancient whistling vessels of her Peruvian ancestors, she handbuilds — focused first on the air-compression systems that make these vessels sing, and increasingly on their sculptural form.
A lifelong musician, she studied anthropology and international development before falling in love with clay. Over the past seven years she has refined her process building water whistling vessels, and now teaches it online and in person from her studio in Ecuador.
From the studio
Voices from the studio
"My friend says she loves it. Beautiful! Thank you."
"It arrived in perfect condition. I'm in a local group that discusses things like ayahuasca and I'll be sure to spread the word."
"I love it. It sounds beautiful — I can't wait to use it in my sound therapy sessions. Thank you for your work."
Enrollment is open
- 16 video lessons across 4 chapters
- 3+ hours of pre-recorded HD video
- Two whistle-making methods taught
- Pre-Columbian whistling bottles PDF included
- Share photos & video for direct feedback
- Lifetime access — revisit anytime
Prefer to skip platform fees? You can also pay via PayPal or Venmo (friends & family) and I'll send your access link directly — message me on WhatsApp.
Learn more
Explore huaco pottery
A few of my favorite topics on pre-Columbian ceramics — the vessels, portraits and instruments behind the craft.
Huacos silbadores
Sacred whistling vessels — clay instruments whose sound depends on the movement of water.
Read more →
Huacos retratos
Sculpted ceramic portraits likely used in sacred pre-Columbian ceremonies.
Read more →
Moche erotic art
The Moche culture of Peru represented the body and fertility in clay. The story behind the "sex pots."
Read more →
Peruvian whistling vessels
Another name for the huaco silbador: a pre-Columbian instrument with an eerie whistle activated by water.
Read more →Common questions