Owner: HWMC
Catalog#: ME-AELV-02-14

Lip Vibrated

Yemenite ‘Shofar’ (Kudu)

Yemen
Jewish (Yemen’s Jewish population, once over 50,000 has dropped to below 10)

Kudu horn
Mid 20th century
Length: 38 in
Aerophones – Wind Instruments Proper- Lip Vibrated

The shofar is a biblical ceremonial horn used in accordance to ancient Jewish tradition. They are usually created from a ram’s horn, while Jews from Yemen have traditionally used the horns of the kudu – a type of large antelope.  The kudu horns are imported from East Africa. They are very long, typically of spiral shape, and are never reshaped. The significance of the shofar dates to the dawn of Jewish history and its ‘call’ still echoes today in synagogues and temples all over the world.  The shofar is a key part of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur.  

Resource: “The Shofar: Its History and Use.” Jeremy Montagu, Rowman & Littlefield. 2015 (ISBN 978-1-4422-5027-7)

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