Stringed-Instrument (Tambura Vina)
name: label: Collector
content: Rajah Sourindro M. Tagore
label: Donor Name
content: Accession Number Unknown
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN BULL. 136, USNM, PL. 38-A, P. 151. A FOUR-STRINGED INSTRUMENT, PLAYED WITH THE TIPS OF THE FINGER. THE BODY FORMED OF A LARGE GOURD, LACQUERED AND DECORATED IN GOLD, THE NECK COVERED WITH A FABRIC OF SILK AND GOLD, THE PEGS OF IVORY, THE STRINGS OF WIRE. THE INVENTION OF THIS INSTRUMENT IS ASCRIBED TO THE CELESTIAL MUSICIAN TUMBURU. THE TAMBOURA IS TO BE FOUND IN PERSIA, ASIATIC TURKEY, AND EGYPT, AS WELL AS IN HINDUSTAN, AND WAS KNOWN TO THE ASSYRIANS AND EGYPTIANS ABOUT THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO. THE NEBEL OR 'TEN-STRINGED INSTRUMENT' OF THE HEBREWS IS SUPPOSED BY SOME TO HAVE BEEN SIMILAR TO THE TAMBOURA.-SEE ENGEL, CATALOGUE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, PP. 17, 25, 30, 162. IT IS STRUNG WITH FOUR WIRE STRINGS- ONE BRASS, THE REST STEEL. THESE ARE STRUCK ALTERNATELY THE INSTRUMENT RECLINING ON THE SHOULDER. ITS USE IS CALCULATED TO FILL UP ALL THE PAUSES IN THE SONG, AND TO KEEP THE SINGER IN THE RIGHT KEY. SEE 92,700 SEE MAHILLON, VOL. 1, P. 155, NO. 95,111. "TUMBURU VINA"."
label: Notes
content: Per Debanjali Biswas, University of London, 11-30-2011, the more current term for this instrument is Tambura Vina.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 21 Apr 2025
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Bengal, India, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Bengali
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 000000
label: USNM Number
content: E54069-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Stringed Instrument