111.142 Cymbals

Gayan-bayan tal. Pair of cymbals. Made of bronze, with a white pattern. Made in Hotebari, Kamrup District, Assam.

The jute strings attached to each cymbal are wrapped around the index fingers of each hand, and the cymbals are clashed together. One of the places in which the cymbals are played is in the satras, the monasteries of Assam that are dedicated to the god Vishnu. The cymbals are used to keep the beat and lead the music for the ritual gayan-bayan dance held in the namghar, the prayer hall. The dance is also accompanied by the khol barrel drums.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
2004.559
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 220 mm x 80 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
brass; jute; paint
CATEGORY
Musical Instruments
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Collection Information

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