Svaramandala
Unknown Artist
late 19th century
Medium
Gourd, wood
Dimensions
L. 49.5 cm (19-1/2 in.), Diam. of body 27.3 cm (10-3/4 in.)
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-plucked
Culture
Indian
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.269
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments the *Svaramandala* is a captivating late 19th-century Indian chordophone-zither, meticulously crafted from gourd and wood. Measuring 49.5 cm in length with a resonant body diameter of 273 cm, this plucked string instrument exemplifies the ingenuity of traditional Indian luthiery. The gourd serves as a natural resonator, amplifying the vibrations of its strings, while the wooden frame provides structural elegance and durability—materials chosen for their acoustic properties and availability in India's div...