Seated Gallery

I am half sick of shadows, c1911. Artist: John William Waterhouse

I am half sick of shadows, c1911. Illustration of Tennyson's poem of the Arthurian legend, showing the Lady of Shalott bored with her weaving. Beside her is the window she will look through and fall in love with Sir Lancelot. She will die of a broken heart because her love is not returned

© Ann Ronan Picture Library / Heritage-Images

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Sri Lanka - Geta Beraya and Udekkiya players

Traditional Sri Lankna drums and drummers. The standing player is holding a hill country drum called the Geta Beraya (a drum with a knot). This is the main drum used to accompany dance sequences in all Kandyan rituals. The right face is covered with the hide of a monkey or monitor lizard and the left side is covered with cattle hide, which is used to provide a finer sound. The seated player is holding a Udekkiya, a very handy drum predominantly used during Kandyan rituals and folk dances. It is played with one hand while handling and controlling the sound by pressure applied on the string and Sawarama with the other. Date: circa 1908

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection

Senegal - Griot playing a Kora

Senegal - seated Griot playing a Kora, a 21-stringed harp lute that originated in the Gambia River valley with the Mandinko but is one of the most popular instruments in Senegal. Griots from most Mande groups in Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau play the kora, which has featured on a number of western recordings in recent years. A Griot is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and/or musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition, and is also often seen as something of a societal leader due to his traditional position as an adviser to royal personages. Date: circa 1910s

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection