Portrait photo of Obshchestvennyia uveseleniia Sredneaziiatsev. Muzykanty. "Rubabchi"
Summary
Musician seated with a fretted lute called a rubab.
The albumen silver print is a photographic printing process that was widely used in the 19th century. It involves coating paper support with a mixture of egg whites and salt, which creates a glossy surface to hold light-sensitive silver salts. The paper is then sensitized in a solution of silver nitrate, and exposed in a camera or under a negative. After exposure, the print is developed in a solution of gallic acid and silver nitrate, which reduces the silver salts to metallic silver and creates the final image. The albumen print process was widely used for commercial and fine art photography in the 19th century and produced high-quality, detailed images with a distinctive glossy finish.
A comprehensive visual survey of Central Asia undertaken after imperial Russia assumed control of the region in the 1860s. Commissioned by General Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufman (1818–82), the first governor-general of Russian Turkestan.
Musical instruments from Central Asia include the dombra, a long-necked lute with a distinctive twangy sound; the komuz, a three-stringed lute made from wood; and the rubab, a plucked string instrument with a deep, resonant sound. Other instruments from the region include the chang, a type of harp; the daf, a large frame drum; and the surnai, a type of oboe. Central Asian music often features intricate rhythms and melodies, and many traditional songs are accompanied by dance.