A long time ago, I spent five and a half years in India, as a student in Delhi and then as a volunteer in Kolkata (Calcutta). I love India with a passion, and ever since Betty Lynn started her interest in the frame drum, I have kept my eyes open for examples of Indian frame drumming. In northern India, the frame drum is known as the Dafli and there are many artistic representations of singers and dancers playing on such a frame drum. My favourite god, Ganesha, is often depicted with the Dafli in hand. So, on my recent travels through Maine, I was delighted to find a hand-illuminated page from a book written in Arabic script in the York Antiques Gallery, York, ME. I am not sure if the page is from Persia or India or if the text is written in Arabic or Urdu, but it clearly shows a man playing a Dafli while a woman dances and another man appears to be singing. In the background a king or prince is receiving his guest on a carpet, while a servant offers refreshments. You will notice that the musician holds the drum high on his chest above his heart. This is how the Dafli is often played in India. If anyone can tell me more about this page and what it represents, I would be delighted to hear from you.
