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Waj

mid-20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681
The waj is used by Kafirs in Nuristan, Afghanistan, for social gatherings and epic songs. Similar harps are seen in paintings in northwest India that are more than 2,000 years old. The waj may have come into Afghanistan while the region was under the influence of Buddhism between the fourth and eleventh centuries. This harp can be used to accompany epic storytelling.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Waj
  • Date: mid-20th century
  • Geography: Nūristān, Afghanistan
  • Culture: Afghan (Nuristan)
  • Medium: Wood, hide, animal hair, nylon, cloth
  • Dimensions: 13 1/4 × 20 × 4 1/2 in. (33.7 × 50.8 × 11.4 cm)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Harp
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mark and Greta Slobin, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.620.1
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Waji, Wood, skin, string, cotton, horsehair, hemp, Afghan (Nuristan)
Waji
Afghan (Nuristan)
19th or 20th century
Rubab, Wood and various materials, Afghan
Rubab
Afghan
early 20th century
Koto (箏), Various woods, ivory, metal, nylon, tortoiseshell, abalone, lacquerwork, Japanese
Koto (箏)
Japanese
20th century
Chongak Kayagum, Kim Kwang Ju Korean, Wood, silk, cotton, Korean
Chongak Kayagum
Kim Kwang Ju
ca. 1980
Dambura, Wood, nylon, string, Afghan
Dambura
Afghan
mid-20th century

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