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This flute is played for both entertainment and meditation and is associated with magical power. It is traditionally played in the Indonesian gamelan, an ensemble that provides music for many important events throughout Indonesia. The suling provides repetitive overlapping lines to create hypnotic effects in this style of music.
End blown flute
Asia
Indonesia

Instrument Information

Title

Suling (End blown flute)

Accession Number

3196

Collection

MIMEd

Date Information

Date Made

1981

Period

20th century; 1980s

Gallery Information

Gallery

Laigh Room

Case

Ritual instruments display

Maker Information

No information recorded.

Made In

Country

Indonesia

Description

Technical Description

Technical description: Bamboo or cane body with external duct; 6 finger-holes on top in two groups of three. The finger holes are quite large in relation to the bore, so cross fingerings are not effective.

Accompanied by a colour photograph showing a native player in action.

Provenance

Collected by Fiona Scott-Barrett, May 1981; bought from the subject of the photograph. ; Gift of Nadine Parks, 1991.

Classification

Instrument

End blown flute/Flutes/Wind/Musical Instrument ; End blown flute

Instrument Family

Wind

Hornbostel Sachs Classification

421.211.12 ; musical instrument