National Museum of Natural History

From card: "An elongated balloon shaped body with a flat back and belly made of thin unvarnished pine. The sides are vertical, made of one strip of bent wood, the ends terminating in the neck, held by bent wood, the ends terminating in the neck, held by sewing through and through and iron nails. The back and body are pinned to the sides with wooden pegs. A square star-shaped sound hole is made in the belly, back of the bridge. The bridge is rudely made and has two short legs. Two strings of twisted sinew, their lower ends fastened to pegs driven in the lower side, passing over the bridge. Their upper ends ar fastened to a round knob projecting from the head. It has neither peg box nor tuning pegs nor finger board. Name of the bow: Pi-tik, shi-gak. This specimen is also catalogued uner No. 93,524."Illus. p. 54 in Turner, Lucien M., Scott A. Heyes, and K. M. Helgen. 2014. Mammals of Ungava & Labrador: the 1882-1884 fieldnotes of Lucien M. Turner together with Inuit and Innu knowledge. Identified there as "Eskimo violin with bow made from whale baleen (1883). An Inuit violin collected by Turner at Ft. Chimo, known as Kiyuiluli-agiagok to the Ungava Inuit(Turner 1884: 2312). This name derives from: kiyu, wood; iluli, hollow; agiagok, filer, from the word to file or scrape (Turner 1884: 2312). The bow, made from Bowhead Whale baleen, was known as pitikshigak, and the strings were known as Ivulu, the term for sinew (Turner 1884: 2761, 2257). Turner wrote that "... the Innuit are passionately fond of music," and "[a Koksoak Inuit] performer was able to play quite a number of recognizable native tunes upon the instrument.""20 Jul 20232

Inuit Tautirut

The tautirut is an Inuit bowed zither used in what is now northeastern Canada. The instrument may have precontact origins, it also bears similarities to some Scandinavian instruments. Melodies are played on one of the strings while the other serves as a drone.

Mouth-Organ "Khen" Or "Kan" Or "Kaan"

TWO ROWS OF BAMBOO TUBES OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, EACH ROW OF SEVEN TUBES TIED TOGETHER WITH BAMBOO STRIPS. BAMBOO THIN-WALLED WITH BURNT AREAS (CAUSED BY "TOASTING" METHOD OF DRYING STEMS). CENTRAL MOUTHPIECE OF HARD WOOD (PROBABLY WALNUT) ATTACHED WITH WAX-LIKE SUBSTANCE. SMALL, CIRCULAR FINGER HOLES NEAR MOUTHPIECE ON OUTER SURFACE. RECTANGULAR HOLES ON INTERIOR SURFACE. "IT WAS MADE BY ON OF THE FEW OLD MEN IN THE KINGDOM WHO HAD THE SKILL TO MAKE THEM (MOUTH-ORGANS) AND THE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE SPECIAL WOOD, GUM, AND BAMBOO FROM WHICH THEY ARE MADE."(EXCERPT FROM COLLECTOR'S LETTER OF SEPT. 7, 1984; SEE ACCESSION FILE).25 Jul 20191

Khen (Mouth-Organ)

The khen or khene is a wind instrument of Lao origin made out of metal and bamboo. Each bamboo pipe is connected to a main chamber and has a free metal reed (like a harmonica) that vibrates when air is blown into the chamber and allowed to travel the through the pipe. View more

Stringed-Instrument (Gembri, Gimbrede, Gimbris)

9 Feb 20241

Moroccan Gembri

The gembri (also spelled guembri or gimbri) or sintir is a North African stringed instrument used by the Gnawa people in Morocco and Algeria. It uses three strings and a stretched skin as a resonator. The gembri is related to West African instruments like the akonting, the xalam, and the ngnoni (as well as the banjo). This Moroccan example is likely an Amazigh gembri known as a lotar. View more

Musical Instrument: Fiddle And Bow "Sarangi"

16 Nov 20162

Bengali Sarangi

The sarangi is a bowed string instrument from India used in Hindustani classical music. This 19th century example is made carved out of a single block of wood and has three gut melody strings as well as seven metal strings that vibrate sympathetically (made to vibrate by the sound from the melody strings). View more

Guitar "Chonguri"

No catalog card found in card file17 Jul 20231

Georgian Chonguri

The chonguri (Georgian) or choghur (Azerbaijani) is a traditional plucked string instrument of the Caucasus region. Although this example was acquired in Tbilisi, Georgia, it is more similar to the chugur from Dagestan, a variant of the related saz. The chugur, chonguri, and choghur are all traditionally used to accompany singing. View more

Photograph: Offering Ceremony of Sabina, Caboclo Candomblé High Priestess

Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion that developed in Salvador, Bahia (where this photograph was taken) as a combination of predominantly Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu religious traditions. In Candomblé de Caboclo, a pantheon of Indigenous Brazilian deities and spirits known as Caboclos is worshipped along with the more common pantheon of Orixás, Voduns, and Nkisis.

Lyre

30 Jun 20171

Sudanese Lyre "Tanbur"

The tanbur is a Sudanese lyre used in many forms of traditional and popular music in the region. It is played by holding it under the non-dominant arm, the fingers of that hand lightly touching the 5 or 6 strings to change their pitch while they are plucked by the fingers or a plectrum in the other hand. The tanbur is commonly used by singers to accompany themselves.

Musical Bow: "Ukeke"

From card: "See Bulletin 38 Bu Am Eth pp 147 to 149."Object was on display in National Museum of Natural History exhibit "Na Mea Makamae o Hawai'i - Hawaiian Treasures", 2004-2005.From Musical Instrument cards: "A stick of ulei wood flat on its face and rounded at back. One end is cut in fish tail form in opposite end are 3 small holes about 1/4 inch apart. It is strung with 3 strings of twisted 2 ply cocoanut fiber. one end is passed thru the small hole and knotted, the other stretched or wound aroud the waist of the fish ? They are tuned to suit the players ear more commonly used to accompany amorous ditties [sic] in love making. Originally the strings were like those in this specimen. After teh white man's arrival they were of horse hair and of late gut violin strings are used. There should be 2 pieces of wood placed near the ends of the strings between them and the wood of the bow, to act as bridges. They are missing."1 May 20241

Musical Bow: "Ukeke"

The ukeke is an Indigenous Hawaiian string instrument that is a type of musical bow. It has two or three strings strung along the length of a thin piece of wood (often koa). The instrument is played by plucking the strings while one end is held up to the mouth, which functions as a resonating chamber.

Drum "Pahu"

From card: "Shell hollowed from a log of Koa wood. The base is carved into ten festoons or open work loops. One head of pigskin [sic] stretched over the open end of shell without a hoop. Holes are made in edge of head and the lacing passed from them up and down the shell to the loops at base. Illus. in Bulletin 136, USNM, Pl. 23-b, p. 136." From 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Drum (Pahu) of the Hawaiians. Shell, hollowed from a section of koa wood; base, carved in open work; head, of pigskin [sic], stretched over the open end. From holes in the edges lacing passes back and forth to the loops in the base. Height, 17 1/2 inches. Hawaii. From U.S. State Department."Object was on display in National Museum of Natural History exhibit "Na Mea Makamae o Hawai'i - Hawaiian Treasures", 2004-2005. Identified by Dr. Adrienne Kaeppler as wood and sharkskin.20 Sep 20241

Hawaiian "Pahu" Drum

The “pahu” (meaning drum in Hawaiian) is a type of drum indigenous to Hawai’i and, more generally, Polynesia. It is made from a hollowed-out log and a sharkskin drumhead. Different types of pahu are used for religious ceremonies and for Hula dances.

Stringed Instrument (Guitar)

1 Mar 20171

Unangan Balalaika

The balalaika is a Russian string instrument with a triangular body and three strings. This Unangan example comes from the Aleutian Islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Russia.

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