Sea Shell Horn (Shankha) Or (Shunk)

Object Details

Collector

Rajah Sourindro M. Tagore

Donor Name

Accession Number Unknown

From card: "The shankha, or conch, is sacred to the Hindus as one of the attributes of Vishnu, the second member of the Hindu triad (Trimurti). This instrument is regarded by the [Hindus] as "the father of wind instruments." it was formerly used in war, but is now seen only in religious ceremonials, in processions of Hindu worship, before idols in the Buddhist temples, and on occasions of festivity. "no tune can be played upon it" writes Col. French, "but the tone is capable of much modulation by the lips, and its clear, mellow humming tones, heard at early morning and eventime from Hindu temples and the groves about them, have a peculiar, though melancholy effect, not without charm." 54075 loaned to Renwick Celebrations 12/17/81 returned 1983. See Mahillon "Cankha" vol. 1, p. 124, no. 56, & vol. 1, p. 182, no. 142." From card: "Conch-shell horn(shankh), before 1879 Bengal, India. Conch shell 3 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 6 1/2 (9.5 x 10.8 x 16.5). NMNH 54075; gift of the Rajah Sourindo Mohun Tagore to President Rutherford B. Hayes. The lingering note of the conch-shell horn augurs good fortune in Bengali weddings. Married women in charge of wedding rituals sound the horn (shankh) during course of the four-day marriage ceremony. Its sonorous tone may be accompanied by the wail of women crying “ulu, ulu” for nuptial happiness. Ganga ka pani sumundra ki sank, bar kanga jag jag anand. May Ganges water and sea-shankh betide, enduring bliss to bridegroom and bride. Bengali proverb. In other parts of India, conch shells are blown at funerals, during religious festivals, and on the occasion of bringing in the year's first harvest. Some regions assign the task of playing the instrument to special castes.

Record Last Modified

21 Apr 2025

Specimen Count

1

Culture

Bengali

Accession Number

000000

USNM Number

E54075-0

Object Type

Horn

Unknown - Object

9.5 cm

10.8 cm

16.5 cm

Place

Bengal, India, Asia

See more items in

Anthropology

NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

Topic

Ethnology

Record ID

nmnhanthropology_8468308

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3c2a6be82-ed42-4dc9-bc78-77062dc031c3