Tambourine
1860-1867 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Daira is a type of drum or tambourine, sometimes fitted with bells or small cymbals and widely used in Turkey, the Caucasus and South Eastern Europe, to accompany singing and dancing. They are held with the index finger and thumb of the left hand and struck with fingers, palm or fist of the right hand. The <i>Daira</i> is usually formed from a wooden hoop but this example is made of tortoise shell inlaid with mother of pearl. It was almost certainly intended as an international exhibition piece rather than a working musical instrument.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Tortoise shell frame, inlaid with mother of pearl; metal plates. |
| Brief description | Tambourine (Daira) with tortoise shell frame inlaid with mother of pearl, Turkey, Ottoman period, 1860 -1867 |
| Physical description | Circular shaped tambourine, with five pairs of metal plates. The framework is of tortoise-shell, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | This instrument was bought by the Museum in 1869 for £8, after being exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1867 in Paris. |
| Summary | The Daira is a type of drum or tambourine, sometimes fitted with bells or small cymbals and widely used in Turkey, the Caucasus and South Eastern Europe, to accompany singing and dancing. They are held with the index finger and thumb of the left hand and struck with fingers, palm or fist of the right hand. The <i>Daira</i> is usually formed from a wooden hoop but this example is made of tortoise shell inlaid with mother of pearl. It was almost certainly intended as an international exhibition piece rather than a working musical instrument. |
| Bibliographic reference | Carl Engel: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Musical Instruments in the South Kensington Museum, (London, 1874), p. 215 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1012-1869 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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