Click image to view full screen
Kamānche (incomplete)
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
<em>Kamānche</em> is a Persian term first used in the 10th century to describe an instrument that is sounded with a bow. From there, bowed instruments spread to Byzantium, Central Asia, the Far East, and then to Europe. In Egypt, it is known as the <em>rabāb</em>, a term known throughout the Islamic world from North Africa to Southeast Asia.<br> <br>The names of musical instruments often reveal origin, context, or musical function. In Europe, North Africa, and Asia where contact with Middle Eastern culture occurred, variations of Arabic and Persian terms for instruments are widespread. Usually, related names refer to similar instruments; however, this is not always true. Among these "floating terms" are the names <em>zūrna</em>, rabāb, <em>kāmanja</em>, <em>nāy</em>, and <em>dombak</em>.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, or Kashmir) |
|---|---|
| Date | 1875–1900 |
| Culture / Origin | Northern Iran (Caucasian, maybe Azerbaijan, or Kashmir) |
| Medium | Wood, hide, and bone |
| Dimensions | Overall: 58.5 x 26.8 cm (23 1/16 x 10 9/16 in.) |
| Department | Islamic Art |
| Type | Musical Instrument |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
You May Also Like
Anonymous, 12th Century
Salver
Turkey, Ushak, Ottoman period
Classical Turkish Carpet with the Lotto Pattern
Iran, Shiraz, Safavid period (1501-1722)
Bahram Visits the White Domed Pavilion on Friday (recto)