Folk musical instrument: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This object has been given considerable scrutiny and analysis because of its attribution during the 1990s to African traditions. Studies have been inconclusive; while the sun design carved on the body may have African origins, the polygonal shape, wood top (instead of a skin), and carved head lie outside the traditions of those instrument designs and technologies brought by people from the African continent who had been kidnapped, enslaved and trafficked across the Atlantic. An appraisal dates the instrument to the early to mid-19th century, but this instrument continues to warrant further study.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1835 - 1865
• Object Name: folk instrument
• Physical Description: wood (part material)
• Physical Description: metal (part material)
• Measurements: overall: 31 in x 10 in x 3 1/2 in; 78.74 cm x 25.4 cm x 8.89 cm
• place made: United States
• Subject: Music
• Subject: African American
• ID Number: 1990.0164.01
• accession number: 1990.0164
• catalog number: 1990.0164.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Robert S. Jamieson
• 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.