Angklung
Date1940-1960 ca.
Place MadeJava, Indonesia, Asia
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsnone
DescriptionBamboo resonators on a stick frame, secured with rattan lashing. This is just one piece of a larger instrument. The angklung is a shaken idiophone. Sound is produced when the entire frame is shaken back and forth, setting the bamboo in motion. The length of the tubes creates different pitches, resulting in melodic and harmonic capabilities.
It is distributed throughout Southeast Asia and is most prominent in Java. Angklungs are played in ensembles during festivals to honor the rice field goddess, Sri Dewi. Five or seven angklungs, each tuned to a different pitch, play together in alternation to create a continuous melody. They are often accompanied by drums, gongs and a double-reed oboe called, in this region, a tarumpet.
Angklungs have also been integrated into a contemporary context in Java, playing in bands with guitar and drum accompaniment. These bands have replaced the Indonesian five or seven note tuning with the Western diatonic scales, and play contemporary western pop music.
DimensionsLength: 1060 mm
Width: 470 mm
ProvenancePreviously owned by James Francis, Toledo, Ohio, who purchased it in a second-hand shop. Purchased from Francis, June 1976.
Credit LineBoard of Trustees, 1976
Object number01430
On View
Not on view
1973 ca.
1925-1935 ca.
1885-1899 ca.
1973 ca.