124-H3-3 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 16 of 16

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	1970.55.0004	Tabla	Tabla; hand tapped. Color: RD-OR
2	1970.78.11.0001	Drum	Wooden, covered with wild pig skin. Pigskin attached to sticks curving around drum and secured with cord which runs between sticks holding drum head. Long cord to carry drum attached to top and bottom. Color: TN
3	1979.0027	Drum	Constructed from hollowed wooden log, tapered at base; leather hide stretched across top to form head, leather hide tied and secured by woven fiber ropes. Rope may be used as carrying sling.
4	1991.15.0001	Drum, bass	Nineteenth century. Wood body is finished with clear varnish; head bands are painted dark red. Stored in a barn for many years, the varnish and paint are flaking and the drum heads are in very poor condition. A partial paper label inside the drum indicates it was manufactured by "Julius Ba----, manufacturer of DRUMS, brass instruments, imported strings, musical instruments". Color: RD
5	2000.2.1	Platter	This is a wooden decorative sago platter of Asmat origin, likely produced in Papua New Guinea in the late twentieth century. It features elaborately carved decorations, particularly around the center and periphery. The entire piece is unpainted and maintains a very dark brown color. At the center of the piece is an oval platter rimmed with elaborate geometric patterns. Either end terminates in a pointed head, the bottom one of which has suffered damage. Protruding from each end of the platter is a large male human figure, as denoted by the characteristic phallic imagery. Both figures stand with their feet resting on the platter and their arms resting on their hips. Each figure features different carvings along their body, possibly denoting different individuals or community affiliations. The figures’ faces are simply carved with a great deal of emotion present in their features. Platters such as this hold a largely ceremonial role in Asmat society. Compared with other sago platters which served a practical purpose in everyday life, this piece is very clearly an object reserved for special occasions. It is plausible that during the age of headhunting, this platter would have been used to serve the brains of fallen enemies at a ceremonial dinner in the community house, the jeu. The practice of headhunting was banned by foreign missionaries in the late twentieth century, at which point the consumption of Capricorn beetles largely supplanted the consumption of human brains as the ceremonial meal. It is unclear whether this particular piece would have undergone a transformation in usage such as this, or if it remained unused after headhunting was phased out. The dark coloration of the exterior is indicative of long exposure to smoke inside a home, suggesting that it may have been out of practical use for a prolonged period of time. Colors: Brown, Black
6	2000.2.63	Drum	Cylindrical drum, narrower in center band (hourglass). Hollow. Undecorated handle attached to one side. Body of drum has line, carved designs. Head is lizard skin attached with rattan Color: BR
7	2000.2.64	Drum	This is a large ceremonial wooden drum of Asmat origin carved from sago wood. It stands quite tall and bears intricate carving decorations on its exterior. It features no paint and is dark brown with traces of smoke-induced patina. The drum forms an hourglass shape which culminates in a covered aperture at the top covered with lizard skin. The side of the piece features an elaborately carved handle with swirling geometric patterns and stylized cassowary beaks. The exterior of the main body features several raised carvings, symmetrical on the top and bottom. Inset into the wood are square-shaped carvings which frame the raised decorations. Drums in Asmat society are highly associated with the popular origin myth of the Asmat people. Legend tells that originally there was a single human named Fumeripits. Fumeripits became lonesome and so he carved the likeness of humans from the wood of the sago trees around his home. But the forms were lifeless logs, with no emotions and no movement. So Fumeripits carved a drum and beat it to give his carvings life. This story, with variations based on community, forms the basic understanding of how people were brought into creation in Asmat culture. In the modern day, drums are carved by hand from a single sago tree trunk by a single artist. They are used during the dedication ceremonies for a jeu (community house) and are central to daily life in Asmat society. When not in use, drums are placed above fire pits in homes, where they are preserved by the smoke. Over time, this smoke accumulates a thick layer of patina which gives drums a very dark coloration. Because of the sophisticated construction of drums, pieces such as this are intended to be used for a very long period of time before being retired. Colors: Brown, Black
8	2000.2.65	Drum	Cylindrical drum, narrower in center band (hourglass). Decorated handle attached to one side. Body of drum has carved designs. Head is lizard skin attached with rattan. Hollow. Color: BR
9	2005.2.10	Instrument	Five-stringed instrument called a Biwa. Long neck with five tuning pegs, two on the right side and three on the left. Neck attaches to a pear-shaped body. Base has two ivory inlays, shaped like half-moons, located four inches from the bottom of the neck, one on either side of the strings. Wooden bridge also has ivory inlay, where the strings attach to it. Two strings are missing. Biwa appears to be made of the same type of wood. However, the wooden bridge might be a different type, as its darker in color.
10	2005.2.14	Concertina	Small concertina accordion in a pentagonal shape. Has wooden body and cardboard bellow. Two legs and red leather handle straps. Body wooden with a reddish brown finish. Leather straps with snaps hold the concertina shut on either side. One one side is printed "MADE IN ITALY." Color: BR,WH,RD
11	2009.6.0001	Drum	Hourglass shaped drum with handles on each side. The middle of the drum is black and the handles are also black. One handle is plain and the other is curvy and forms small holes where the bottom of the curves meet the drum body. The top of the drum is made of opaque reptile skin stretched over and two rows of twine around the edge. The drum is hollow on the inside. On both the top, bottom and around the center are orange and white geometric paintings on a black background. The rest of the drum is tan colored. Color: TN, BK, WH, OR
12	2022-27-31	Biwa	Japanese string instrument, part of the lute family. Wooden body is teardrop-shaped and has 3 small sound holes, 2 near the top of the soundboard/face are partially covered with white, crescent-shaped inserts and 1 is obscured under the string holder near the bottom; the string holder is made of wood with decorative white insets, it has 8 small holes through it, arranged in pairs with each string looping through two holes, allowing them to stay firmly in place without using a traditional knot. The neck is made from a separate piece of wood from the body, the two are attached via a peg at the bottom of the neck which fits snugly into a hole at the top of the body, there is no adhesive used as the pieces are meant to be taken apart for storage and transportation; there are 5 trapezoidal wooden frets of various sizes running up the neck. The pegbox is attached to the neck similarly to how the neck is attached to the body, it is rectangular with a flared finial and runs horizontal to the neck; there are 4 wooden, tapered cylindrical pegs with carved rounded ridges and white circular inserts at the outside tips. There are 4 strings of varying thickness, most likely made from silk.
13	2022-27-36	Koto	Large, string instrument in the half-tube zither family known for being the national instrument of Japan. The body of the instrument is made from what appears to be a single piece of wood which is hollow in the middle, the inside of the instrument is visible through 2 sound holes on the bottom, one near each end; it is curved on the top and bottom and flat on the sides. Another type of wood is used for a rest on the bottom of one end of the instrument and for 2 low bridges at either end of the instrument where the strings are attached. There are 13 strings but only 12 bridges, presumably one has been lost; the strings appear to be made from a thick nylon thread; the bridges are made from white plastic and can be moved up and down the string in order to change the pitch. The strings are tied in two different ways, on one end the strings are tied around small rolls of paper inside of the instrument and come out through small holes ringed with metal, on this end of the instrument there is a removable cover made from white, orange and gold fabric, under which is a decorative painting of two birds flying; at the other end the strings are brought over the end of the instrument, through the sound hole, then back up through small holes ringed with metal near the bridge and tied off, the excess string is then carefully formed into 2 loops which are woven through the strings to keep them in place, this end also has a piece of orange, white and gold fabric which is decorative, but also serves to protect the wood from the pressure of the strings.
14	2022-27-37	Dulcimer	Appalachian dulcimer, unrelated to the hammered dulcimer, made from wood. Body/soundbox is long and ellipse or "boat" shaped, it has 2 heart-shaped soundholes near the middle of the body, placed on either side of the neck. The "neck" is rectangular with a half-circle scoop near the bottom where the instrument would traditionally be plucked, it is centered over the soundbox and has 17 unevenly spaced metal frets. At the top of the neck is the headstock, which contains 4 cylindrical tuning pegs with rectangular heads; there is an ornamental carving of a woman's head at the end of the headstock, she has long hair that curls at the end, a pointed nose, and an open mouth. At the bottom of the neck is a small bridge, followed by the tailblock, which has 4 wooden pegs where the strings wrap around. There are 4 metal strings, 2 of which have what appears to be small pieces of pipe cleaner wrapped around them where they wrap around their wooden pegs on the tailblock. Carving on the back of the headstock reads "Martin original Craftsman Swannanoa, N.C."
15	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.
16	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.