Oud
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Wood, gut, and metal
Dimensions
81.3 × 33.7 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr.
Accession Number
1918.350
About this artwork
A member of the lute family, there is perhaps no more emblematic instrument of the Islamic world than the oud. It provided music for banquets and gatherings, accompanied poets, punctuated celebrations and festivals, and is still prominent today. The oud is included in the medieval philosopher al-Farabi’s (872–950/951) Great Book of Music (Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir) in which he discusses the modal system of Arabic music. The defining characteristics of an oud are evident here: a pear-shaped body w...