Erhu
Alternate name(s)
- Spike fiddle
- Tan chin
- Hu ch’in
Date1900-1925 ca.
Place MadeChina, Asia
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsnone
DescriptionCylindrical bamboo resonator covered with snakeskin. Two strings. Wooden bridge, a later replacement. Thin piece of metal inside resonator vibrates when played. Carved wooden back.
DimensionsOverall length: 620 mm
Depth of resonator: 101 mm
Diameter of resonator: 75 mm
ProvenancePreviously owned by Reverend Emmons E. White, Manamadurai, India. By 1947, likely sold to Arne B. Larson, Brookings, South Dakota.
Correspondence from the NMM archives indicates that Larson may have received this from Reverend White, who served as a missionary in Tamil Nadu, India, in the early 1940s. In a letter dated March 1, 1944, White mentions his impending return to the United States and, specifically, his plan to bring musical instruments back with him.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979
Object number01530
On View
Not on view
1900-1925 ca.
1925-1935 ca.
1973 ca.
1750 ca.
1880-1900 ca.