Sarangi Afghan Musical Instrument

About this piece

Details: Origin: South Afghanistan Age: Circa 19th Century Dimensions: 26” Length x 5.5” Width x 5.5” Height Description: This antique traditional musical instrument comes from the villages near Nuristan. It normally has 13 strings and tuners, and sounds very beautiful. The head of the instrument depicts a mihrab design, which links it to the high levels of spirituality that many Afghan people believe could be reached through music. The body is made from the local wood, usually walnut, and is designed to last a very long time. Because the Sarangi is meant to become an extension of the person who plays it, it is usually required that the players of these instruments build their own instruments to suite their own voices.