Thighbone trumpet

Museum number:

9-21860

Permalink:

ark:/21549/hm21090021860

Alternate number:

BY.T-26 (previous number) and T-26 (original number)

Accession number:

Acc.4737

Description:

Trumpet fashioned from a human thigh bone; thighbone is wrapped at top and bottom with leather, and a leather thong is attached as a handle.

Donor:

Estate of G. Eleanore Murray, Estate of Theos C. Bernard, and Theos C. Bernard

Collection place:

Tibet

Verbatim coll. place:

Tibet

Collector:

Theos C. Bernard

Materials:

Bone (material) and Leather

Object type:

ethnography

Object class:

Femurs and Trumpets (aerophones)

Function:

5.4 Secular and Religious Musical Instruments

Production date:

19th century

Accession date:

March 12, 2004

Context of use:

Thighbone trumpets are used extensively in the popular "Chod" ritual. It functions, when blown in the ritual context by a qualified yogin, to summon all living beings, including every manner of ghost and goblin, to a great feast. In the Chod ritual, the thighbone trumpet is blown at the beginning and occasionally during the procedure, and the yogin then puts it down and serves up the feast while chanting melodiously and playing the large hand drum (Chod damaru) with his right hand and the ghanta bell with his left. The use of human bone is necessary as the yogin is ritually transforming his own flesh and blood into offerings suitable for the various classes of living beings. In the best quality trumpets, the wrapping at each end would be human skin rather than leather. Some, such as T-27, use metal fittings and ornaments.See: 9-21861, 9-22052, 9-22054

Department:

Asia (except western Russia)

Images: