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Wind Instrument

Object Number:P781
Current Location: Collections Storage
Culture:Bakatan
Provenience: Borneo
Sarawak
Rejang River
Section:Oceanian
Materials:Bamboo
Gourd
Glass
Gutta-Percha (uncertain)
Length: 58 cm
Width: 17 cm
Credit Line:Gift of Dr. William H. Furness 3rd., 1898

Description

Musical. Kiliri. [Kaluri] Pointed oval gourd with narrow curved neck with a hole in one side into which are inserted six hollow reeds, the longest of which is decorated with a tube covered with rows of tiny red, yellow black and white beads and three tassels of red, black and yellow beads. This reed also has a carved bamboo cap, with three bands of cut-away fringe. "[The kaluri] consists of a bottle-shaped gourd with six hollow reed pipes set into the body of it; a finger-hole is cut in each pipe at such a place that the fingers of both hands while holding the instrument can cover all the holes. The middle reed is the longest, and is therefore the bass; it has no finger-hole, but its tone is subdued by a movable cap at the end; the neck of the gourd forms the mouth-piece. The music of a Kaluri somewhat resembles that of organ pipes, perhaps slightly nasal in timbre. . . ." (The Home-Life of Borneo Head-Hunters)

Current & Past Exhibitions:

The Dayaks: Peoples of the Borneo Rain Forest (Furness, Hiller, Harrison Borneo Collection) (25 Feb 1989 - 01 Jul 1990) View Objects in Exhibition

Bibliography:

[Book] Furness, William H. 1902. The Home-Life of Borneo Head-Hunters: Its Festivals and Folk-lore.. Philadelphia. J. B. Lippincott & Co. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: following p. 8 (center)View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Book] Furness, William H. 1902. The Home-Life of Borneo Head-Hunters: Its Festivals and Folk-lore.. Philadelphia. J. B. Lippincott & Co. Type Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: pp. 6-7View Objects related to this Type Citation

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