Mbira and acoustic transducer owned by Pete Cosey
date: label: Date
content: 1954-2012
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Used by
content: Pete Cosey, American, 1943 - 2012
label: Manufactured by
content: Rowe Industries, American, 1940 - 1970
notes: label: Description
content: A handheld llamellaphone instrument (.4a), known as a kalimba, mbira, or thumb piano, with DeArmond-brand acoustic transducer (.4b) owned and used by Pete Cosey. Instrument is a hollow wooden trapezoidal prism, with shape slightly flaring out from the end where the tines are attached to the end with resonator holes. There is one large hole on the front and two smaller holes on the back. Six of the fifteen tines have red paint on them - there is significant paint loss on each tine. Five screwheads on the back are visible and align with the tines on the front.
label: Description
content: DeArmond-brand acoustic transducer is chromed with brass volume knob. Knob has a black plastic cover. Etched into chrome is [DeArmond / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. / ROWE INDUSTRIES / TOLDEO, OHIO U.S.A.] Beneath the transducer, its bottom surfaces and edges are covered with a removable rubber padding, with a round hole containing a matching round section of cork glued directly to the transducer’s metal body. The plug end is a 1/4" TS plug that would feed into an amplifier.
label: Description
content: Metal transducer clips (.4c, .4d, .4e) fit over the peg on the transducer’s top and have hooked ends would have attached a rubber band or cord to hold the transducer in place on the instrument’s body.
label: Description
content: Rubber transducer foot (.4f) is formed to fit over metal body of transducer where it would contact the instrument.
label: Description
content: A flat rubber circle (.4g) is similar material to the rubber transducer foot.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Musicians
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Karumah, Dunni, Ishmak, Aribania and Mariama Cosey in memory of Baba Pete Cosey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2021.105.4a-g
objectType: label: Type
content: kalimbas
label: Type
content: mbira
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No known copyright restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: wood, iron or iron alloy, paint, chromium, cork (bark), rubber and plastic
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (instrument): 8 1/4 × 5 7/8 × 1 3/4 in. (21 × 15 × 4.5 cm)