Japan
Japanese

Wood, leather, bronze, metal, gold gild painted, lacquer
Early 20th century
Height: 33.5 inches
Idiophones – Struck Idiophones

This Japanese shoko was used at the coronation of Emperor Yoshihito on July 30, 1912.  It is a suspended gong in a decorative lacquered frame standing on four splayed legs with two mallets. Shoko is one of the three major percussion instruments used in the performance of Japanese kangen music. Kangen is music for listening as opposed to bugaku, which is music for dance. It is one of the styles of the traditional music of the Emperior’s royal court known as gagaku (‘elegant music’).  This shoko displays an ornately carved plaque in the image of a blazing flame on top of the circular wooden frame.  This represents valued treasures as well as Buddha and is a typical decoration in Japanese Buddhism.

Reference: “Shako,” Henry Johnson, “The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments,” 2^nd ed., Laurence Libin, Editor in Chief.