Description:

**Originally Listed At $600**

Central Asia, Tibet, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautiful and playable example of a "kangling," literally translated as a "leg flute," a trumpet carved from a human femur bone. The exterior surfaces are polished smooth to reduce splintering, and a recessed wax 'mouthpiece' is inserted within the severed end and perforated. The patellar groove has been hollowed out to form a double bell and wrapped with a red-dyed leather panel. The kangling makes an eerie wailing sound, meant to create an otherworldly atmosphere during the Chod ritual of the Nyingma and Kagyu Buddhist rituals; the kangling player does this as a gesture of fearlessness. Size: 13.625" L x 3.125" W (34.6 cm x 7.9 cm).

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

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#149661

  • Condition: Minor abrasions to bone body, with light fading to red dye on leather wrapping, otherwise intact and very good. Nice patina throughout. Trumpet emits a lovely sound when played.

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June 25, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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