Built by Antonio Stradivari, The Gould violin represents the pinnacle of violin-making. Its flamed maple back, spruce top, and golden varnish highlight Stradivari’s pursuit of tonal balance and resonance.

• Mechanics: Crafted with precision arching and wood density, its sound projects warmth rather than sheer volume.
• Acquisition: Donated to The Met in 1955 by George Gould, it remains playable, linking historic design to modern performance.
• Today’s Influence: Modern violins, while engineered for projection in large halls, still take cues from Stradivari’s craftsmanship.

The Gicak, a bowed spike fiddle from Central Asia, connects ancient sound traditions to modern creativity.

• Mechanics: Featuring sympathetic strings and a carved wooden body, its buzzing, drone-like resonance contrasts with the polished clarity of a violin.
• Comparison to Today: While modern violins and cellos are precision-engineered, the Gicak’s handmade design showcases regional artistry.

Modern Echoes: Its voice can be heard in folk metal, where bands like Eluveitie and Korpiklaanie incorporate fiddles and traditional instruments into heavy riffs.

Tradition Meets Metal: The Hu

Mongolian folk metal band The Hu proves that traditional instruments can thrive in modern heavy music.

• Mechanics: They use the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), tovshuur (two-stringed lute), and throat singing—ancient techniques rooted in Mongolian tradition.
• Modern Influence: Their “Hunnu Rock” combines these instruments with electric guitars and drums, creating a bridge between past mechanics and modern metal.

Global Reach: Like Eluveitie in Europe, The Hu shows how traditional craftsmanship thrives in the heaviest of genres.

Italian luthier Angelo Mannello crafted some of the most ornate mandolins of the late 19th century, and The Met houses one of his true masterpieces.

• Mechanics & Build: Featuring a bowl-back body, intricate pearl inlay, and a delicate soundboard, this mandolin embodies both artistry and acoustic precision.
• Historical Role: Mandolins were popular in European salons and folk traditions, and Mannello’s instruments stood out for their craftsmanship.

Modern Connections: Today, mandolins remain staples in bluegrass, folk, and even metal subgenres—bands like Eluveitie have drawn on its plucked textures alongside traditional fiddles.

The Met’s Musical Instruments Exhibit doesn’t just preserve the past—it shows how ancient mechanics fuel modern creativity.

• Stradivari’s violin still inspires luthiers.
• Les Paul’s prototype continues to shape electric guitar design.
• Angelo Mannello’s mandolin represents craftsmanship still loved today.
• Folk instruments like the Gicak and morin khuur thrive in bands from Eluveitie to The Hu, proving that history still roars on today’s stages.

For musicians, fans, and makers alike, the exhibit is a reminder: every note we play is part of a centuries-long conversation between tradition and innovation.