Morocco
Moroccan

Clay, metal, goat skin, paint
Mid 20th century
Length: 16.25 in; Head diameter: 6 in; Base diameter: 2.8 in
Membranophone – Struck (Directly) – Single Headed

This small single-headed tube drum called tara’ij is from Morocco.  It has a goblet-shaped body with a goatskin head.   The tara’ij is used in the Melhoun genre of Moroccan art music.  

 In some areas, tara’ij are traditionally given to children at the holiday of Aashura, a major (Islamic) religious commemoration of the martyrdom at Karbala of Hussein.  Girl’s drums are painted in brightly colored patterns, while Boy’s drums have more of a plain baked-clay tube.  This Moroccan tara’ij is made of clay with embossed brass plating and rim.  The clay is glazed and painted a dark brown/bronze color with some small linear etching, and the embossing is a floral pattern. The rim also has a metal ring, and the skin is glued to the clay past the rim.