South India

Indian (Dravidian Speaking)

Wood, metal, skin
Early  20th century
Diameter: 8.25 in
Membranophones – Stuck Membranophones

This single-headed hand drum called kanjira (kanjeera) comes from south India.  It consists of a small heavy frame with three sets of iron discs suspended from metal crossbars that are set into slots of the circular wooden frame. The drumhead of iguana skin is nailed and glued on.  It is played by holding the bottom of the frame and striking the drum skin head with the fingers of the right hand, shaking, or rubbing the skin with the thumb.  This kanjira is tuned by wetting or drying the head and is used by mendicants to accompany devotional music (bhajana).  It is also played with the mridangam and the ghatam (both instruments seen in this collection),  to accompany south Indian classical vocal music.  These three instruments along with the mursing (mouth harp) make up the southern percussion ensemble known as talavadyakacceri. 

Sources:  “Kanjira,”  Alastair Dick, “The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments,” 2nd Ed., Vol 3, Laurence Libin, Editor in Chief.