Rubab
date: label: Accession Date
content: 2 Apr 2014
name: label: Donor Name
content: Afghan National Institute of Music
notes: label: Notes
content: One highly ornate rubab, a lute-like musical instrument that is considered the national instrument of Afghanistan. Wooden body, with skin stretched over bottom half. Neck covered in elaborate shell inlay patterns. 6 pegs at top, and 13 along one side, each inlaid with shell and turquoise-colored beads. In total, 19 strings come together at shell (or bone?) bridge, and over bottom edge, which is protected with a small strip of black imitation leather (vinyl?). Sides of the instrument have shell inlay medallions, and one side has a small square with initials "T S". Also included is the carrying case for the rubab, made of padded grey polyester (or nylon?) fabric, with black straps and zipper closure. This rubab was presented to the Smithsonian by the Afghan National Institute of Music, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, Director. According to Dr. Sarmast, "the rubab was made in 2006 by Walayat Khan, a rubab maker whose roots can be traced to legendary rubab maker Wasel. The instrument is made of a single piece of mulberry wood, and was used by contemporary Afghan rubab player, Ustad Rameen Saqi, until late 2012."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 12 Jul 2023
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: Afghanistan, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Afghan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2062969
label: USNM Number
content: E434669-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Rubab / Case
physicalDescription: label: Length - Rubab
content: 80 cm
label: Width - Rubab
content: 18 cm
label: Height - Rubab
content: ca. 24 cm