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Balafon (Balanji)

Collection: African Art Collection
Description: The Balaphone is made with a bamboo frame and has wooden keys. The wood was dried to remove moisture. The keys are different thickness and width and provide different sounds. Gourds with holes are arranged beneath the keys and tied together to provide the resonance. The keys and gourds are tied with one long piece of native twine. The two mallets used to strike the keys are wrapped on the end with raw rubber sap from the rubber tree. This Balafon is in excellent condition, perfectly tuned and has been so since it was created around 1950. In 2018, a wooden board was attached to the base to prevent damage to the gourds when lifting and moving. The board can be removed.
Artists/Makers: Unknown Niger River Basin Read Biography

Unknown

GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP: Niger River Basin. The Balafon, known by a verity of names is associated with griots, the West African praise singers, court musicians and traditional story tellers. The gourd-resonated xylophone is used by many tribes throughout West Africa. It is closely associated with the Mande cultural groups that migrated from ancient Mali into West Africa in the 15th century.
Student Work: No
Culture: Niger River Basin
Medium: Stained wood, gourds, twine, mallets (beaters), rubber
Classification: Musical Instrument
Accession Number: 2022.01.063
Accession Date: May 2022
Donated By: Reginald and Celeste Hodges
Donation Date: May 2022