nessk - 9-6-2004 at 05:40 PM
Hi,
I was given an oud that once belonged to my grandfather who came to New York in 1906 from Beirut. The oud is missing a piece of wood on the flat part
and the strings are broken. I would like to be able to determine where it came from and around when. I am estimating it to be around 100 years old
or more. I did not see any writing on it.
Can anyone advise me on how to look into determining the background?
Thanks,
Ness
david - 9-6-2004 at 07:50 PM
How about posting a pic and letting some of the more experienced members get a look at it.
pics
nessk - 10-2-2004 at 11:45 PM
Here are some pics of the oud. I was told that it was brought here from Beirut in 1901. There is old american paper on the inside and another little
piece of paper with arabic writing that may be dated 1952. My aunt played it during that time and may have had it repaired.
Can anyone tell me anything about it from the pics?
pics2
nessk - 10-2-2004 at 11:48 PM
pic3
nessk - 10-2-2004 at 11:50 PM
Jonathan - 10-3-2004 at 03:11 AM
Is there any chance you can get a picture of the label inside the oud? That is the key. I know it seems impossible, but if you hold up the camera to
that big soundhole in the middle, and shine a flashlight into one of the smaller soundholes directed toward the label or labels, you will probably be
able to get a halfway decent picture. I know it is a pain, but that label really is the key to understanding the details on this oud.
nessk - 10-3-2004 at 09:04 AM
I did use the flashlight to try and read it but did not attempt to take a picture.
I'll give it a try, but it may take a few days to a week because I don't have a digital camera yet.
Thanks for your response.
Jonathan - 10-3-2004 at 02:56 PM
Don't worry about it. We will still be here when you get the pictures up. I am really curious myself.
pics of label
nessk - 10-5-2004 at 09:38 PM
I borrowed a digital camera from a friend and had the label magnified so the image came out okay.
I showed the pic to an Algerian man at work and he was able to read it, but could not translate it because he is not that fluent in english. He did
say that it is an artist name and that the year there says 1927. I questioned the "2," and he responded that it is a 2 in Arabic. Does
that seem right???
Anybody able to read, translate, recognize anything here?
pic of label
nessk - 10-5-2004 at 09:42 PM
I borrowed a digital camera from a friend and so far this is the best image I could get.
An Algerian man at work says that the year on there says 1927. I questioned the "2," which he says is a 2 in Arabic. He said it also has
the name of the artist who designed it, but he could not really translate to me because his english is very poor.
Can anybody help with the label?
2nd pic of label
nessk - 10-5-2004 at 09:44 PM
Ronny Andersson - 10-5-2004 at 10:34 PM
What kind of material are the rosettes made of?
Date
spyrosc - 10-5-2004 at 11:02 PM
It definitely says 1927 in Arabic
Spyros C.
Date
spyrosc - 10-5-2004 at 11:03 PM
Sorry, I meant 1926
Spyros C.
attention
mourad_X - 10-6-2004 at 03:09 AM
take care
i'm not shure that in 1927 the ballpoint pen
realy does exist!!!
regards
mourad
nessk - 10-6-2004 at 08:10 AM
It was not written in ball point pen. It is in pencil and very faint, but it was darkened on the computer by my friend who downloaded the card from
the camera. It came out in bluish tones. The lining of the paper around it has no blue either.
In the 2nd photo, I tried to take out the blue before posting it.
Can anybody read what else it says? Who the designer is maybe?
Thank you all for your help.
close up of front
nessk - 10-6-2004 at 08:38 AM
Also, I am not sure about the materials used. The wood is pretty worn, has tape marks and is missing a piece on the right side.
Elie Riachi - 10-6-2004 at 02:21 PM
The way I read the lable is:
Work of Anies al-Melheh "note the first h is the sound 7 in Arabic".
year 1926
Bak Kashee
LAbel
spyrosc - 10-6-2004 at 04:40 PM
I read it slightly different but it's hard to tell:
"Work of Anis Al Makikha
Year 1926
Bala Kleesh"
I wonder if "Bala Kleesh" is the same as "Baloukli" a place in Istambul ?
Correction
spyrosc - 10-6-2004 at 04:43 PM
Sorry, my typo:
"Work of Anis Al Malikha
Year 1926
Bala Kleesh"
But the last two words could be a lot different. Also the name "Anis" could be "Anin" or "Anib" etc
thanks + question
nessk - 10-6-2004 at 06:34 PM
Thank you for the translations (s.)
Is it possible that the oud was refinished in 1926? Would it be normal to glue a new label in if it were refinished?
I am wondering because my mother told me that my paternal grandfather brought it with him from Beirut (1901,) and he passed away in the mid - late
20s. She may have been misinformed, but I'd really like to know either way.
Thanks again for your help!