Sitar with tumba, acoustic pickup, and extra strings owned by Pete Cosey: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Sitar (.6a) with detachable lakadi ka tumba (.6b), mid-tone laquered wood with white, red, and black decorative motif in polymer inlay. Wood has decorative leaf motifs carved into body. Tuning pegs (kuntis) and lakadi ka tumba leaf motif are darker, either different wood or lacquer. Headstock of sitar has sticker, blue on silver, that reads [MADE IN INDIA]. Sitar body (kadu ka tumba) has duct tape on it, possibly for attaching acoustic transducer.

DeArmond-brand acoustic transducer (.6c) is chromed with brass volume knob. Knob has a black plastic cover. Etched into chrome is [DeArmond / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. / ROWE INDUSTRIES / TOLDEO, OHIO U.S.A.] Beneath the transducer, its bottom surfaces and edges are covered with a removable rubber padding, with a round hole containing a matching round section of cork glued directly to the transducer’s metal body. The plug end is a 1/4" TS plug that would feed into an amplifier.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: late 20th century
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Manufactured by: Rowe Industries, American, 1940 - 1970
• Used by: Pete Cosey, American, 1943 - 2012
• Type: strings (chordophone components)
• Type: sitars
• Medium: wood and metal with cloth, lacquer, polymer and duct tape
• Dimensions: H x W x D (sitar body): 47 5/8 × 12 3/16 × 12 in. (121 × 31 × 30.5 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (tumba): 5 7/8 × 5 7/8 × 6 3/8 in. (15 × 15 × 16.2 cm)
• Place made: India, Asia
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Object number: 2021.105.6.1a-d
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Karumah, Dunni, Ishmak, Aribania and Mariama Cosey in memory of Baba Pete Cosey
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.