Stringed Instrument thumbnail 1
Stringed Instrument thumbnail 2
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On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Stringed Instrument


sarangi or saringhi; Musical, wood ivory, Mysore India

Object details

Category
India Museum
Object type
Stringed instrument
Materials and techniques
Ivory inlays
Brief description
sarangi or saringhi; Musical, wood ivory, Mysore India
Dimensions
  • Length: 55cm
  • Width: 17cm (at base)
  • Width: 21cm (maximum, at tuning pegs)
  • Depth: 14.5cm (maximum)
Gallery label
(01/08/2017)
SARANGI
Wood, parchment and ivory and lac inlay, metal strings
Mysore, Karnataka
c. 1865
02118(IS)
Transferred to the V&A from the India Museum in 1879
The sarangi was a popular instrument used to accompany singers in folk music, as can be seen in the paintings above. Its tone is rich
and haunting. The musician plays it with a bow, holding it vertically with the sound chamber below. In addition to the four main strings, eleven sympathetic strings originally passed through small holes in the ivory fish motifs to the tuning pegs at the sides.
Production
The India Museum Slip Book entry records this as 'Whence received: Mysore. When received: 1867' suggesting that it was sent from Mysore to the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867.
Other number
7,293 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
02118(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O474888/stringed-instrument/
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