Mam
late 19th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
L. of 1649: 1 ft. 6 in., L. of 1650: 1 ft. 5-3/4 in.
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-pipe
Culture
Egyptian (repro)
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.1649
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's renowned Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments acquired in 1889 the *Mam* (ion nos. 1649 and 1650) is a late 19th-century wooden reproduction of an ancient Egyptian aerophone. Crafted by British instrument maker David James Blaikley this pair of reed-vibrated pipes measures 1 ft. 6 in. and 1 ft. 5¾ in. in length, evoking the vibrant sounds of Egypt's musical heritage. Blaikley specialized recreating historical instruments, bridging antiquity with Victorian curiosity about ancient cultures. As a reed-vibrated pipe the *Mam* mimics traditiona...