E1508: Thumb Piano (Lamellophone)

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E1508

Classification Category:

6:Tools & Equipment for Communication ➞ Musical T&E

Materials:

metal
botanical ➔ wood

Dimensions:

Provenance of Object:

This object was first found at the Livingstone Museum in Livingstone, Zambia. It appears that Harv then purchased the thumb piano from the museum in 1987 and brought it back to the United States. Harv donated the object to Luther College in 2018.

Ethnic Group:

African ➞ Chokwe

Use/Function:

This thumb piano is plucked with one's fingers for certain ceremonies. Usually, this is played at weddings, funeral, religious ceremonies, and for significant peoples. The The western world has westernized these instruments, so they are now found within popular culture. The tongues, or prongs, are all different notes and this is based on their length. This Lamellophone or cisanzi has a socio-cultural and musical function for the Chokwe people of northeast Angola. The cisanzi is important to their oral tradition. Resonators on the bottom are thin metal, glass, or shell rings that vibrate when the instrument is played to create a different timbre.

Source Locality:

Botswana

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