Tanbūr
Unknown Artist
late 1800s
Medium
Wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, and wire
Dimensions
58.4 × 10.5 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
1918.347
About this artwork
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-pe...