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1 of 253523 objects
China
Trumpet (laba) eighteenth century
Brass | 126.0 x 34.0 x 34.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 74397
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A brass trumpet, known as a laba, with a cone shaped bell on a straight, tube-shaped body, with telescopic sections and an integral concave mouthpiece. While it seems to have originated in Central Asia, the laba was first noted in China in the 3rd and 4th centuries and has been used consistently in traditional Chinese music, particularly from the northern regions.
Text adapted from Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen: Volume III.Provenance
Acquired by George IV, 1804. Part of a collection of miscellaneous objects illustrative of Chinese life and customs, brought from Guangzhou by Dr J.J. Garrett and delivered to Carlton House on 31 October 1804. Recorded as no. 1568 in the Carlton House Arms and Armour Inventory, and as no. 3 in the Inventory of Musical Instruments Placed in the Waterloo Chamber, where it is described as ‘a long Chinese Military Trumpet with large Bell. Diameter of Bell 1foot 1¾ inches [34.9 cm]’.
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Brass
Measurements
126.0 x 34.0 x 34.0 cm (whole object)
Place of Production
China
