DescriptionWooden neck and resonating chamber; gourd at neck end; 2 melodic strings, 3 drone strings, 14 sympathetic strings (all metal); curved ivory bridge, perforated for sympathetic strings; 22 brass frets; height 490mm (to top of peacock's head); width of resonating chamber 166mm.
The instrument is shaped and decorated like a peacock, the resonating chamber (painted with plumage) forming the body, with carved wings and underbelly feathers tapering into carved legs to form part of the stand; a cobra rears up from the stand from between the peacock's legs; the strings are attached to the base of the bird's neck and head, which are separate in construction from the body; the mouth holds a pearl; the neck of the instrument is painted on top and bottom as the tail of the bird, and the edges are inlaid with fine bone decoration; the gourd is painted with a leaf pattern in red, green and gold. |