Rag-dung, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), early 17th century
China
Copper, cloisonné, brass; L. 74 in. (188 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Freedman, by exchange, 1988 (1988.349)
Curator Comment
Although Confucianism remained the basis for the structure of government in China, it was Buddhism, introduced in the first century b.c., that flourished from the Han to the Tang dynasty (206 b.c.–a.d. 907). Among the instruments associated with Buddhism was the rag-dung, a long trumpet played for preludes, processions, and morning and evening calls to prayer. It was unusual for musical instruments to be enameled, as cloisonné was reserved for containers such as boxes or vases. Most Tibetan long trumpets were decorated on only the bosses—fittings that protect the tube when the instrument is collapsed for storage. The richly colored five-clawed dragons chasing a "jewel" across a clouded, cobalt-blue sky was a common theme used by Chinese enamelers. This Tibetan-style long trumpet was among the many instruments made in China and sent as gifts to impress officials in bordering nations. Gifts of musical instruments and the musicians who played them were common in East Asia, a political custom that promoted the dissemination of musical ideas.
Although the instruments, which are played in pairs, are capable of producing many pitches, tradition dictates that they emphasize low and medium tones; a high tone is rarely used. Rag-dung are stretched out before kneeling monks, who sound the instruments using a deep-set mouthpiece attached to the narrow end. The wider, open end, or bell, is placed on the ground or on a wood support. In processions, the instrument is suspended from a cloth strap, which passes through rings on either side of the bell.
J. Kenneth Moore, Frederick P. Rose Curator in Charge, Department of Musical Instruments