Wind Instrument
pre 1882 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The pungi or tiktiri is an Indian wind instrument consisting of two reed pipes glued together and inserted into the thick end of a gourd – the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, which includes melons, cucumbers and squashes. The mouthpiece is at the narrower end of the gourd. One of the pipes is a drone playing a single note, while the other plays the melody, with fingerholes that can be adjusted with wax to vary the pitch. The pungi is traditionally used by snake-charmers. This example is gaily painted in red with white and green floral motifs.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Painted wood and gourd |
| Brief description | Painted wood and gourd wind instrument (pungi), made in India pre 1882 |
| Physical description | Poonjee. Instrument used by the Hindu snake charmers. It is painted gourd with double pipe. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Under a spell
The high-pitched sound made by blowing through this instrument, a pungi, seems to fascinate snakes. It could be a lifesaver if you found yourself face-to-fang with a python!
[Young V&A, Imagine Gallery short object label](2023) |
| Credit line | Given by Carl Engel Esq. |
| Object history | Given by Carl Engel |
| Production | Used by Indian snake-charmers |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The pungi or tiktiri is an Indian wind instrument consisting of two reed pipes glued together and inserted into the thick end of a gourd – the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, which includes melons, cucumbers and squashes. The mouthpiece is at the narrower end of the gourd. One of the pipes is a drone playing a single note, while the other plays the melody, with fingerholes that can be adjusted with wax to vary the pitch. The pungi is traditionally used by snake-charmers. This example is gaily painted in red with white and green floral motifs. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 380-1882 |
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| Record created | July 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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