Block Item Number: 2668/7 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Woodblock musical instrument (bangzi or buyu). Large dark brown rectangular block of wood with two circular holes bored through one end along the edge, a long slit-like hole cut along the length of both sides, and five red characters painted on one end.
History Of Use
In Cantonese opera, primary percussion instruments accompany the melodic instruments and include different sizes of woodblocks (large: bangzi or buyu) or (medium/small: duk or dik) played with wooden sticks. Percussion instruments play functions to accompany movements, speech, and song, suggest moods or emotions and used to create special sound effects, such as thunder or the sound of galloping horses. Wood block players must know every detail of the opera as they control the tempo of the accompaniment to the singing passages, and providing signals to the other percussionists.
Item History
What
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- China
When
- Ownership Date
- before April 19, 2006
- Acquisition Date
- on April 19, 2006
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 2668/0007