Artwork Page for Tanbūr

Details / Information for Tanbūr

Tanbūr

late 1800s

Syria or Turkey, Ottoman period

(1299–1922)
Medium
Wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, and wire
Measurements
Overall: 58.4 x 10.5 cm (23 x 4 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr. 1918.347
Public Domain
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Location
116 Islamic
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Did You Know?

The two pairs of wire strings would be played with a quill plectrum.

Description

This long-necked lute collected in Ottoman Syria possesses traits that are Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian and provides an example of the musical interaction between cultures. It is an ancient instrument and resembles lutes used in Pharaonic Egypt and Mesopotamia. In its many forms, the tanbūr was a common instrument throughout the Islamic world. It is often used as a solo instrument in both sacred and secular contexts. Burn marks decorate the pear-shaped body along with inlaid dots of mother-of-pearl, which may also have helped with navigation of the fret board by the player.
A wood musical instrument tapers from a long, slender neck down to a small, teardrop-shaped body. Iridescent circular and triangular mother-of-pearl inlays run along the neck and around the body's rim. Near a pointed white tip, two tuning pegs project left and two right. Thin wires stretch over horizontal wraps along the dark wood. Star-like patterns are carved into the face, flanked by rows of luminous shell circles.

Tanbūr

late 1800s

Syria or Turkey, Ottoman period (1299–1922)

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