Eusrunai
Unknown Artist
late 19th century
Medium
Coconut shell, wood, rattan, cane
Dimensions
Instrument: 73cm x 12cm x 9cm Bow: 40.6 cm (16 in.); (L.C. says, "L. 2 ft. 4-1/2 in., D. 4-1/2 in., Bow 16-1/2 in.)
Classification
Chordophone
Culture
Bornean
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.815a, b
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, acquired in 1889, the *Eusrunai* is a captivating chordophone from late 19th-century Borneo. Crafted by an unknown artist from the Bornean culture, this bowed string instrument measures 73 cm long, with a slender 12 cm by 9 cm body and a 40.6 cm bow. Its construction highlights ingenious use of local tropical materials: a coconut shell resonator for the body, paired with wood, rattan, and cane for structural elements, reflecting the resourcefulness of Bornean artisans in harmony with their rainforest en...