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Source Description
This long-necked lute collected in Ottoman Syria possesses traits that are Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian and provides an example of the musical interaction between cultures. It is an ancient instrument and resembles lutes used in Pharaonic Egypt and Mesopotamia. In its many forms, the tanbūr was a common instrument throughout the Islamic world. It is often used as a solo instrument in both sacred and secular contexts. Burn marks decorate the pear-shaped body along with inlaid dots of mother-of-pearl, which may also have helped with navigation of the fret board by the player.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
98647
label
Tanbūr
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
98647
contentType
object
title
Tanbūr
description
This long-necked lute collected in Ottoman Syria possesses traits that are Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian and provides an example of the musical interaction between cultures. It is an ancient instrument and resembles lutes used in Pharaonic Egypt and Mesopotamia. In its many forms, the tanbūr was a common instrument throughout the Islamic world. It is often used as a solo instrument in both sacred and secular contexts. Burn marks decorate the pear-shaped body along with inlaid dots of mother-of-pearl, which may also have helped with navigation of the fret board by the player.
date
late 1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79485143
genreSpecific
Musical Instrument
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 58.4 x 10.5 cm (23 x 4 1/8 in.)
cul
Syria or Turkey, Ottoman period (1299–1922)
accession
1918.347
Source extras
tec
Wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, and wire
tombstone
Tanbūr, late 1800s. Syria or Turkey, Ottoman period (1299–1922). Wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, and wire; overall: 58.4 x 10.5 cm (23 x 4 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr., 1918.347
collection
Islamic Art
didYouKnow
The two pairs of wire strings would be played with a quill plectrum.
citations
citation
"Accessions." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 5, no. 8/9 (1918): 82-85.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 82
citation
D. S. M. "Exhibition of Musical Instruments." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 8, no. 9 (1921): 134-43.
page_number
Mentioned: pp. 134-137
creditline
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr.
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:19:30.287000
sourceId
98647
dept
Islamic Art
coll
Islamic Art
med
Wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, and wire
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
a5121b279eb72595