Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Jam · 2010-10-11 05:20:20

I was at one of the local museums here in Oxford, the Pitt Rivers, and they have a huge collection of musical instruments out the back (along with shrunken heads, yoroi, man traps, etc) and I spotted a shakuhachi. It didn't seem to have a hanko on the back but it looked like it'd been played a lot, worn down finger holes, etc.

They also had some other flutes from Japan, including a "Seiriki" a Shinobue and a "double duct flute used by street shampooers to attract customers".

If any of you are passing through Oxford let me know, I can give you some more information

Any shakuhachi in museums near you?

Josh · 2010-10-11 07:04:41

That sounds like Kiku's stomping ground. I wonder if she has any info on the flute or where it came from?

Jam · 2010-10-11 07:10:14

Apparently it's been in the museum since 1989, I didn't write down who it was donated by but a lot of the things in there aren't necessarily that old. I did quite want to try and play it though!

Kiku Day · 2010-10-11 18:53:59

I have been there. In fact I did my last conference presentation in that museum surrounded by these wonderful instruments. We were a panel presenting papers on instruments so they decided to do it there instead of at St John's College where the conference was being held.
I did look at the shakuhachi and other Japanese flutes. The museum curator knew quite a bit, so he was a very good source of information. But I don't know more than what Jam has already written.

There is an excellent instrument museum in Bruxelles, Belgium. I am yet to see the one in my hometown, Copenhagen....

MikeL · 2010-10-14 09:08:49

Looks like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has some. Two listed, but only the Yamaguchi Shiro lists
as being "on display".

Go to mfa.org, click "collections", then "advanced search". Then "classification" of "musical instruments", and
put "shakuhachi" in "object name/title". Some nice pictures. You can zoom in for some detailed images.

I wonder what it would take to get those instruments played by local or visiting expert players? (or me, haha )

I think that I've heard of museums doing that with instruments.

Tairaku 太楽 · 2010-10-15 00:52:14

John Singer provided them with the Shiro. I have played the flute, it's a nice one.

"Shrine to Music" museum in Vermillion South Dakota is pretty amazing and has a shakuhachi in the collection but it's not a good one from the looks of it.

Justin · 2010-10-15 01:02:18

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:
John Singer provided them with the Shiro. I have played the flute, it's a nice one.

Damn, should have got them a bad one if no-one's playing it!

Jam · 2010-10-15 05:00:56

I have a dodgy flute I bought from a flea market for a couple of thousand yen...Reckon they'd trade?

Jam · 2010-11-08 12:25:22

I've just got back from Sweden, they have a Shakuhachi in the Musikmuseet (Music Museum) in Stockholm. You can play a number of the instruments in there (I was like a kid in a sweet shop) but unfortunately the shakuhachi and the shamisen were in glass cases. The shakuhachi's maker is "unknown" but the mouthpiece looked kinko to me. The fingerholes weren't very worn.

Josh · 2010-11-08 21:30:42

Shimura sensei made a recording from instruments held at the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments. Kokan-Shakuhachi 1 "Color of Tone."
He used all historically famous shakuhachi:
Kogetsu
Shinryo
Sogen
and another Shinryo

I don't think they let just anyone play it, but Kiku might have been over there for research.

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2010-10-11 05:20:20

Shakuhachi in museums

#2 2010-10-11 07:04:41

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#3 2010-10-11 07:10:14

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#4 2010-10-11 18:53:59

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#5 2010-10-14 09:08:49

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#6 2010-10-15 00:52:14

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#7 2010-10-15 01:02:18

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:

#8 2010-10-15 05:00:56

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#9 2010-11-08 12:25:22

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

#10 2010-11-08 21:30:42

Re: Shakuhachi in museums

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