Apache Fiddle: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This Apache Fiddle was made by Chesley Goseyun Wilson in Tuscon, Arizona in 1989. Honored with a National Heritage Fellowship Award in July 1989, Chesley Wilson crafted this instrument for presentation to the Smithsonian Institution. The tsii'edo'a'tl (Apache for "wood that sings") is

typically made from the agave plant and is also called ki'zh ki'zh di'hi (buzz buzz sound), which fairly describes its musical properties. It is used in social settings, especially for ceremonial and love songs.

Early documentation of the Apache fiddle is unclear. It may be aboriginal in design or modeled after European violins introduced through Spanish influence in the 19th century. While early examples (before 1920) are commonly ornamented with simple red and black geometric designs, more recent makers have incorporated more intricate and colorful decoration as seen in Chesley Wilson's work. An extensive collection of Apache fiddles is housed in the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History (Department of Anthropology) and Museum of the American Indian.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1989
• maker: Wilson, Chesley Goseyun
• Object Name: fiddle
• Measurements: overall: 17 1/2 in x 4 3/4 in; 44.45 cm x 12.065 cm
• Place Made: United States: Arizona, Tucson
• ID Number: 1989.0653.01
• accession number: 1989.0653
• catalog number: 1989.0653.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Chesley Goseyun Wilson
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.