1856. The Bone Player

1856
The Bone Player
William Sidney Mount

En el mundo del arte, hay obras que te atrapan con su belleza, otras que te conmueven con su mensaje, y algunas que te hacen pensar y repensar. "The bone player", del pintor estadounidense William Sidney Mount, pertenece a esta última categoría.

Creada en 1856, esta obra no es solo un retrato de un hombre afroamericano tocando unas tablillas interdigitales de hueso.

El protagonista de la pintura, ataviado con ropa sencilla y con una mirada serena pero intensa, nos invita a sumergirnos en su mundo. Sus dedos, curtidos por el trabajo, se posan con destreza sobre el instrumento, extrayendo de él melodías que llenan el aire de emoción.

Para saber más:

111.12 ACAA

Placas de entrechoque, sueltas y talladas en hueso.

Consta de dos piezas que se tañe  interponiendo los elementos entre los dedos  y agitando la mano. Se usan en las dos a la vez y están talladas a lo largo con pequeñas incisiones en forma de v. Son denominadas como Bone. Originaria de Estados Unidos. 

DICCIONARIO. Bones instrument

BONES INSTRUMENT

The bones, also known as rhythm bones, are a folk instrument that, in their original form, consists of a pair of animal bones, but may also be played on pieces of wood or similar material. Sections of large rib bones and lower leg bones are the most commonly used bones, although wooden sticks shaped like true bones are now more often used. Metal spoons may be used instead, as is common in the United States, known as "playing the spoons". The technique probably arrived in the U.S. via Irish and other European immigrants, and has a history stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have contributed to many music genres, including 19th century minstrel shows, traditional Irish and Scottish music, the blues, bluegrass, zydeco, French-Canadian music, and music from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The clacking of the loose rib bones produces a much sharper sound than the zydeco washboard or frottoir, which mimics rattling a bone up and down a fixed ribcage.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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1910

BONES Sonorous Substances. Europe. Four pieces of the ribs of horses or oxen held in the hand, and struck together for the purpose of marking time in accompaniment to the voice or another instrument. Bones are of ancient use in England, and are alluded to by Shakespeare in the fourth act of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," as forming one means of rustic music. In figures described by Inigo Jones for the court masques, a character is represented playing upon the knicky-knackers of bone or wood. The term " knicky-knackers" used by the country folk may have had its origin in the name " Nakerer," for in Strutt's Sports and Pastimes a payment is recorded as being made to Janino C. Nakerer, one of the minstrels of Edward II. The minstrels frequently indulged in burlesque music, and Janino may have performed upon the bones.

A rude instrument composed of several bones hung on a cord and played by rubbing with a stick was formerly used in Madeira to accompany the guitar. The name refers to castanets at times.

Musical instruments

frederick stock

La historia americana y la enciclopedia de la música.

por Hubbard, WL (William Lines), b. 1867 ; Andrews, George W ; Dickinson, Edward, 1853-1946 ; Foote, Arthur, 1853-1937 ; Green, Janet M ; Thrall, Josephine ; Liebling, Emil, 1851-1914

Fecha de publicación 1910.

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1884 A Spanish Quartet

1884
A Spanish Quartet
Dannat, William Turner
(1853-1929)

Boceto para el cuarteto