South Sudan & Uganda
Ma’di

Wood, Vegetable materials
ca. Mid-20th century
Length: 73 inches
Aerophone – Lip Vibrated – Horn

This side-blown trumpet is played by the Ma’di people of Uganda. It is made from wood, but shows a mouthpiece that is made out of a separate piece of wood. Strips of vegetable fibers are wrapped around the carved wood. This whole single long piece was cut in half lengthwise, each half hollowed out, and then reassembled. It is bound with some kind of vegetable material, each strip about a third of an inch wide, wrapped several times at each interval. The grass was used to fill the seams as well, so there is a vertical element, but most of the grasses are wrapped horizontally. It is bound at intervals, decreasing from about two inch intervals at the wide end (width of wrapped sections varies from about half an inch to two and a half inches wide) and they become solidly wrapped at the small end. The embouchure opening lip is slightly oval, inner part is circular. The only ornamental weaving is the binding itself. Patina is fabulous.