Sho (笙)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
wood, metal
Dimensions
L. 16 1/2 × bowl diam. 3 in. (41.9 × 7.6 cm)
Classification
Aerophone-Free Reed-mouth organ
Culture
Japanese
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.97
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Musical Instruments, this19th-century *sho* (笙) is a captivating example of Japanese craftsmanship. Crafted from wood and metal, the instrument 16½ inches in length with a bowl diameter of 3 inches, embodying delicate balance of form and function typical of traditional Japanese aerophones. As a free reed mouth organ it produces ethereal, harmonious tones by vibrating thin metal reeds when air is blown through its pipes, a technique that highlights the ingenuity of its anonymous maker. The *sho* holds profound cultural significance in J...