India

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Catalog # Name Description
1 1978.31.4 Dallah Engraved, brass. a. Serving tray, inlaid with red and white colors; underside of rim stamped "India". b. Coffee server (samovar), heavily engraved, inlaid with red and white colors, 7" spout, 13 1/4" body tapers from a 1 3/4" neck to a 4 1/4" diameter pot, brass handle, hinged painted lid. c-j. Each serving cup, engraved, matching server and tray. 1978.31.4 (Dallah) image
2 2022-27-45 Sitar The Sitar is a plucked string instrument that originated in Northern India. The body and neck of this example appear to be carved from a single piece of wood, with the head of the instrument being made from a separate piece. The body is small and rounded with a flat top and curved bottom; there are several ornate, black and white inlays decorating the top and sides as well as two detailed wings carved out of wood, one on either side of the body with the ends pointing towards the neck; on the top of the body there are two white bridges, the smaller of the two holds the sympathetic strings which then go under the larger bridge which holds the playable strings; all of the strings wrap around nails at the bottom of the instrument which are protected by a sort of cup carved into the wood. The neck is the largest part of the instrument, it is curved on the bottom and mostly flat on the top, curving up slightly towards the edges; there are black and white inlays on the top and sides of the neck, similar to those on the body; there are 17 wooden tuning pegs along the proper right side of the neck, 15 of which are simple, paddle shaped, and used for the sympathetic strings, which attach to the pegs through small holes in the top of the neck, the other two are more ornate, carved knob shaped pegs which are used for the primary strings, there is 1 more ornate, knob shaped peg near the top of the proper left side of the neck, this one also belongs to a primary string; a gold sticker at the top of the neck reads "RIKHI RAM  MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO.  B.A. MARINA ARCADE, CONNAUGHT CIRCUS  NEW DELHI. - I.[illegible]  SUPPLIERS TO A.I.[illegible]". The head of the instrument is separated from the neck by a white bridge which keeps the primary strings from touching the sympathetic strings; the head curves into an ornate curl at the top which ends in two leaf-like carvings; there are 6 carved, knob shaped tuning pegs on the head, 3 on each side, which attach to primary strings. 
3 2022-27-61 Dilruba A bowed string instrument from India, frequently used in Sikh devotional music and later Hindustani music. The body, neck, and peg box all appear to have been carved from a single piece of wood, with a separate piece of carved wood added to the proper right side of the neck to hold tuning pegs. The body of the instrument is hollow and rounded on the back with black and white inlayed detailing around the bottom and just before the area where the body meets the neck; the front is flat and carved into a lopsided hourglass shape; a white material (most likely an animal skin parchment) has been stretched over the top, running horizontally over this, approximately 6 cm above the bottom of the body, is a strip of white leather/faux leather that is attached to the wood via metal nails, a white plastic bridge sits on top of this strip. The neck is approximately 54 cm long and has a raised lip running vertically up both sides; there are 20 adjustable metal frets which are slightly curved in order to separate the playable strings from the sympathetic strings, these frets are held in place with red threads which go around the back of the neck and tied in notches made on either side of each fret; at the top of the neck there is a small metal plaquette with writing in Hindi. There is a white plastic barrier piece that separates the neck from the peg box at the top of the instrument, this serves to keep the 4 main strings and 5 of the sympathetic strings in the correct places. The peg box itself holds 9 total pegs, 2 on each side and 5 arranged vertically in the center; the pegs on either side of the peg box are for the 4 main strings which run over the separation piece, frets, and bridge, these pegs are made primarily of metal with white plastic heads, turning the peg turns a small gear which adjusts the tuning of the string; the 5 pegs in the center of the peg box are for 5 of the sympathetic strings which go through small holes made on the proper left side of the separation piece in order to keep them from touching the other sympathetic strings on the neck, these pegs are much simpler than those used for the main strings and are made of white plastic. There are a total of 24 strings, 4 main and 20 sympathetic; the remaining 15 sympathetic strings attach to simple wooden pegs that run vertically down the proper right side of the neck, these strings are kept separate through the use of metal screws arranged diagonally down the neck. All of the sympathetic strings go through holes made in the bridge and all strings meet at a string holder, a painted, rectangular piece of wood which protrudes from the bottom of the body.