The Reading Aulos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Reading Aulos is the surviving half of an ancient Greek aulos (reed-blown double pipe). It is much more complete than other examples found to date, and is on permanent display at the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology in Reading, England.
The aulos has a length of 38 centimetres[1] and is made of wood clad in bronze with sections decorated in silver. The bell-shaped top, missing the (detachable) reed required for playing, is made from bone or ivory and is covered in silver.[2]
The top half features a prominent pear-shaped bulb which following water-damage has split revealing the make-up of the wooden core and the bronze cladding. Below this section the decoration of one of the silver foil bands can be clearly seen: elaborate ridges and grooves.[2]
The lower half contains most of the holes used for playing the instrument and features further silver foil decoration (atop the bronze cladding); the end terminates in a similar bell-shaped form as the top.[2]
Unlike other auloi, the Reading Aulos's bronze cladding appears to be the method for holding the sections securely together rather than the more common use of spigot-and-socket joints. Due to corrosion the bronze cladding has lost all its original finish.[2]
Since acquisition by the museum restorative work has been performed to correctly align the lower section of the lower half with the rest of the instrument.[2]
