Tombak
Unknown Artist
late 19th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
Height: 16 in. (40.6 cm) Diameter: 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Classification
Membranophone-single-headed / goblet drum
Culture
Iranian
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.304
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Musical Instruments, thisak exemplifies the rich tradition of Iranian percussion from the late 19th. Crafted from wood by an unknown artist, the goblet-shaped drum stands 16 inches (40.6 cm) tall a 10-inch (25.4 cm) diameter, elegant, flared form designed for resonant sound production. As a single-headed membranophone, features a taut skin stretched over the wider mouth, a hallmark of Persian drumming instruments that allows skilled players to produce a spectrum of tones through intricate finger techniques. In Iranian culture, the Tombak ...