Nanbanzi (南梆子) 19th century

Curator: This striking piece, titled "Nanbanzi," dates from the 19th century. It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Well, isn't that peculiar? My first thought is that it looks like a… wooden brick with a story to tell and an urge to make some sound. Curator: It's a woodblock instrument from the Golden Tone Workshop. Thinking about its historical context, the term "Nanbanzi" itself points to interesting intercultural exchanges. It refers to the "Southern Barbarians," the term Japanese used for Europeans arriving in Japan during the 16th and 17th centuries. Editor: So, it's a sound bridge connecting cultures? That’s a rather resonant thought. It makes me wonder what kind of music would come from it – a fusion, perhaps? A blend of Eastern and Western influences… a sonic spice route? Curator: Precisely! And it invites considerations on how cultures perceive and represent "the other." This period of initial contact brought significant trade and cultural exchanges, which influenced Japanese art, fashion, and music, especially amongst those merchants. It’s critical, therefore, to look at which audiences would’ve had access to the materials and performances involving pieces like the “Nanbanzi.” Editor: Oh, definitely. I bet there’s a certain intimacy involved here, with the hand-carved detail and modest scale. It feels almost like a personal keepsake or talisman, less like a mass-produced item and more like something to connect one to other places. What is it, do you know, intended for in actual music settings? Curator: What’s amazing is that such carved instruments may have been used for merchant guilds or as signaling instruments, and it’s intriguing to examine this colonial context via its name, inscription and sonic impact within such performance traditions. Editor: Colonial… Yes! You've framed that beautifully. I find myself now thinking about this unassuming wooden block and its silent echo, asking big questions about cultural exchange, about who is doing the naming, who is playing and who benefits! A really rich two minutes this little Nanbanzi just gave us! Curator: Indeed! A small object with enormous resonances!