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Rababa is a popular musical instrument used by Bedouins in the past and in modern times. The bow is one string made of wood and plastic.
© National Museum of Qatar
20th century
Object Name: Rababah
Period: 20th century
Date: 1900-1999
Provenance: Qatar
Dimensions: 80.5cmx21.5cmx12.5cm-rababah 54cmx1.8cmx14.3-bow , weight:830g
Medium: animal hide,wood,nylon,iron alloy,varnish,cotton
Registration Number: QNM.2014.156
Place Of Discovery/Findspot:  Qatar
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Rababa is a popular musical instrument used by Bedouins in the past and in modern times. The bow is one string made of wood and plastic.String instrument comprising instrument and bow. The rababah is made of a wooden soundbox, comprising a wooden frame covered either side with a skin head and attached to the front, back and sides of the frame with rows of iron alloy tacks. A round wooden 'fretboard' rod tensions the rababah string by means of a turnable peg, slotted into a hole. The rod passes through the soundbox, providing structural stability. A small thin nail has been driven into the centre of the bottom rail as an attachment point for the other end of the string. There is a decorative, lathe-turned finial at the top of the fretboard. The rod has been coated with a orangey/brown coloured varnish, this paint scheme extends over the top of the frame, with some dripping onto the heads
The bow is made of a single piece of curved wood. The bow strings are several strands of a strong, long white fibre, either animal hair or nylon, each end of the strands is knotted to a short length of cotton string and attached by the pieces of string to either end of the bow.
The bow has a notch and two threading holes at either end by which to securem and tension the string,
HISTORICAL CONTEXT QATAR
The Qatar Peninsula is surrounded by sea except in the south where it connects with its neighbours from the Arabian Peninsula. For hundreds of years people have shared the land, resources and knowledge inherited from their environment. With no fixed lifestyle in terms of time and place, people moved easily and freely between land and sea for trade, livestock, pearl diving, fishing, and hunting at various times throughout the year. This symbiotic relationship between the people and their environment was represented in the unity of their societies, including the exchange of knowledge, stories and the trading of available goods.

A distinctive characteristic of life on the Qatar Peninsula has long been the close association between the coast and the desert – al barr. Some desert tribes spent several months of the year in coastal cities, setting up semi-permanent residences to participate in pearl diving or fishing. Similarly, coastal residents occasionally moved to al barr during the winter to graze their livestock. This exchange of natural resources and the influence of different environments has contributed to the creation of a unique community.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT - REGION/GULF/WORLD
The presence of British, French and Dutch trading companies in the Gulf from the early 1600s brought uncertainty to the region, with unstable alliances and intense competition over trade routes. As trade flourished, however, the strength of the Arab tribes increased. Many Arab tribes moved from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula to Qatar, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, most of the major towns of the Gulf were founded. Several towns flourished on the Qatari coast, including Huwailah, Khor Hassan, Fuwairat, Ruwaida, Freiha, Al Bidda and Doha. The most notable was Al Zubara which became a hub for the Gulf pearl trade.
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Gallery 7