Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 335
Scan 335
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
22 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 309. See the scan on archive.org.
1Appendix.
3It has ivory tuning pegs not unlike those of a violin, and there is an F-hole on one side of the body; from which one might conclude that the negro manufacturer of this instrument had taken a hint from seeing a European fiddle. Generally, the sancho is tuned by means of movable rings, like the kasso. At least, such is the contrivance of several of these instruments which have been brought to England from different parts of Western Africa.
5(7.)
7TAMBOURA baghlama. Four wire strings, which are twanged with a plectrum. Egyptian. Modern.
9The tamboura baghlama may be regarded as the Eastern mandoline. Baghlama signifies "small," and this instrument is the smallest-sized tamboura.
11Various kinds of the tamboura are to be found in Egypt, Asiatic Turkey, Persia, and Hindustan.
13(134.)
15ABYSSINIAN Fiddle, with bow. The whole instrument is cut out of one block of wood. Seven catgut strings.
17There are some musical instruments to be found on the eastern coast of Africa which probably were derived originally from Hindustan. The present fiddle, which in shape bears some resemblance to the chikarah of the Hindus, was brought to England by a soldier engaged in the Abyssinian war, and confutes the statement of Bruce and some other travellers, that the Abyssinians possessed no instruments of the violin class.
19(143.)
21REBAB. Persian. Probably of the present century. The body cut out of a single piece of wood, is rudely ornamented with a pattern which is burnt on it. The instrument has three strings of catgut, which near the top run through holes, and are fastened at the back to the tuning- pegs.
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