Object: Figurines

E/1957/21/21
India
1950’s
Materials: Ceramic, metal, paint

These tiny, yet beautiful figurines, standing merely 2 inches tall, were made to be purchased by Ganges pilgrims at Benares, India as token of having made the journey. Each of the figurines were hand-painted with a great deal of detail and most of the figures can be identified as specific Hindu deities.

These figurines represent many important deities of the Hindu religion. They include Parsam Ram (an incarnation of Vishnu), Saraswati, Krishna, Sita, Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu), an unidentified female figure, Kunti, Vishnu, Radha, Hannuman, and Rishi (the figures are shown from left to right, in this order, in the photograph below).

While the pantheon of Hindu deities is quite extensive, most of these characters are mentioned in the more famous ancient epics of India: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and are fundamental to Hindu belief. These epics are long heroic tales originally written in Sanskrit. Of the figurines held by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Rama, Sita (Rama’s consort), and Hanuman are extremely important characters in the Ramayana epic. In this legend, Hanuman is a monkey who discovers he has special powers given to him by the gods. He and Sita assist Rama in his heroic battle against Ravana and his plot to conquer the heavens.

Of the many Hindu deities, there are three that are commonly grouped as the primary trinity of Hinduism. These are Vishnu (the protector), Brahma (the creator), and Siva (the destroyer). These three deities are believed to create a balance in the universe. In the group of figurines held at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Vishnu is depicted three times (he is the first, fifth, and eighth figure shown below) [Chenoa Copeland].

Object: Tanpura

E/1954/9/6
India
Date unknown
Materials: Wood, ivory, metal, gourd

A tanpura is a commonly used musical instrument in India. It is a stringed drone instrument, which provides a deep harmonic foundation for a musical ensemble. In India, Taan means a musical phrase and puraa means to complete. Therefore, the name of this instrument means that it completes the entire sound. Tanpuras are made mainly of wood making them very durable and easy to transport. The resonator is made of a gourd and the neck is made of wood and has no frets. There are typically anywhere from four to seven steel strings attached to pegs on the bottom and tightened to nuts on the top. Many tanpuras are sanded and painted or lacquered to enhance their appearance. This object in particular is decorated with green and red dye.

Historically, these instruments were used in folk and tribal music, and often played an important role in religious worship. Now, they are increasingly popular and used by many groups of people. It is interesting to note that men and women play the instrument differently. Women traditionally play from a seated position, and tend to use relatively small versions of this instrument. Men, however, can play the instrument from a variety of positions, including while standing, allowing them to use larger versions of this instrument [Chenoa Copeland].

To hear what a tanpura sounds like, click one of the links below.

Large file.

Small file.

Object: Sitar

AS-12-04-071
Stringed instrument: sitar
Hindu India
Date unknown
Materials: wood, ivory, metal strings, gourd, sting.

The sitar is a classical musical instrument from North India. The sitar resembles a plucked, long necked lute. The player would pluck the six major stings with a metal pick like device that is fashioned out of wire. The thirteen sympathetic strings of the sitar are not plucked, but instead provide a droning sound as the sitar is played.

The construction of this sitar is consistent with the standard classical method of construction. The gourd resonating chamber is connected to the wooden neck by a decorative wooden device that is secured with a combination of glue and nails. The strings are connected to the resonation gourd by a string block that allows the vibration of the strings to be transmitted into the gourd where they are amplified. The tuning devices for the strings are called the peg box.

Click here to hear what a sitar sounds like.

The Ethnology department of SNOMNH invites and encourages your comments on this particular North Indian Sitar. [Zach Duvall]