Rubab

Afghan

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

Afghanistan’s national instrument, the rubāb is also popular in northwest India and Pakistan and may be the ancestor of the sarod. Carved from a single piece of mulberry wood and covered with skin, the instrument has a lively and percussive sound. This Afghan rubāb is decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay, which accentuates the wood’s deep tones and textures.

#Demonstration of a modern Afghan Rabab, 2013. "Valley" written and played by Quraishi, rabab, accompanied by Samir Chatterjee, tabla.

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Rubab, Wood and various materials, Afghan

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