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Oud
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A member of the lute family, there is perhaps no more emblematic instrument of the Islamic world than the oud. It provided music for banquets and gatherings, accompanied poets, punctuated celebrations and festivals, and is still prominent today. The oud is included in the medieval philosopher al-Farabi’s (872–950/951) <em>Great Book of Music</em> <em>(Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir</em>) in which he discusses the modal system of Arabic music. The defining characteristics of an oud are evident here: a pear-shaped body with a fretless fingerboard and a peg box set at a 45-to-90-degree angle to the neck.
| Artist / Maker | West Asia |
|---|---|
| Date | late 1800s–early 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | West Asia |
| Medium | Wood, gut, and metal |
| Dimensions | Overall: 81.3 x 33.7 cm (32 x 13 1/4 in.) |
| Department | Islamic Art |
| Type | Musical Instrument |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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