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Description: | The Chinese guan has a double reed like a Western oboe, but has a distinctly different sound as a result of its cylindrical rather than conical bore. Its strident tone has proved popular in a number of different musical contexts in China for both accompanying and imitating nasal styles of singing. During the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD) the guan gained a prominent role in courtly music and was used in a similar way to the hichiriki, the equivalent oboe of Japanese court music. It has since declined in importance within the tradition of court orchestra music but remained popular in regional instrumental ensembles. In recent years the guan has declined further in popularity as a result of the increasing use of the Western saxophone, which has all but replaced it in Cantonese ensembles and theatre traditions.
Guan, cylindrical oboe. Body of a heavy, dark wood with seven finger holes and one thumbhole. The double reed is inserted directly into the proximal end and lapped with wire near its base. The instrument has a second reed, which is similar. The pewter inlay at both ends of the body is pierced by a regular rectangular pattern. The instrument probably dates from circa 1960. | Publisher: | http://www.horniman.ac.uk/ | Subjects: | oboes wood metal grass reedpipes metal thread | Source: | Horniman Museum | Identifier: | oai:oai.horniman.ac.uk:object-12076 |
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