Ryuteki (龍笛 "dragon flute")

Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

Seldom played as a solo instrument, the ryūteki, along with the double-reed hichiriki, is a main melodic instrument of gagaku (court music). Its bamboo body tubing is wrapped with cherry bark or rattan twine to help preserve it. Here, the dragon-carved case hints at its contents: the ryūteki’s sound is said to represent the dragons that soar between heaven and earth.

Ryuteki (龍笛 "dragon flute"), Bamboo, various woods, Japanese

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Ryuteki (龍笛
Ryuteki (龍笛

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