Kalimba

late 19th–early 20th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

The shovel-shaped kalimba of southeastern Africa has its longest, lowest- sounding lamella in the center. Lamellaphones may be placed in or attached to a gourd that serves as a resonator to enhance and amplify the instrument’s sound.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Kalimba
Date: late 19th–early 20th century
Geography: Zambia or Zimbabwe
Culture: Zambian or Zimbabwean
Medium: Wood, steel, copper
Dimensions: Overall: W. 8.9 x L. 13.3cm (3 1/2 x 5 1/4in.)
Classification: Idiophone-Plucked / Depressed
Credit Line: Gift of Miss Alice Getty, 1946
Object Number: 46.34.40
Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Sanze or mbira, Wood, metal, Zambian or Zimbabwean — Sanze or mbira
Zambian or Zimbabwean
late 19th century

Tap Shoes, Capezio Inc. American, Leather, steel, velcro, form padding, various materials, American — Tap Shoes
Capezio Inc.
1996

Harpsichord, Michele Todini , designer Italian, Wood, gilt, ebony, ivory, parchment, Italian (Roman) — Harpsichord
Designer Michele Todini
Basilio Onofri
Jacob Reiff
ca. 1670

Steel Drums, Vincent Taylor Trinidadian, Steel, Trinidadian, active New York — Steel Drums
Vincent Taylor
1974

Ennanga, Ganda, Wood, vegetal fiber, snake skin, hide, Ganda people — Ennanga
Culture Ganda
19th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.