About the Collection

In 1992, curator Marvette Pérez contacted Puerto Rican collector Teodoro Vidal Santoni after learning that he was interested in donating his extensive collection of Puerto Rican material culture. In 1997, after several visits and conversations over the course of five years, Mr. Vidal agreed to donate his entire collection to the National Museum of American History. This became one of the largest gifts by an individual to the Museum. One of the most important collections of Puerto Rican material culture in the world, it consists of more than 3,200 objects which date from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

The tiple, Puerto Rico's smallest string instrument, shows great regional variations in how it is strung and tuned. It and its jumbo version, the bordonúa, were often played to accompany religious songs.
Description
The tiple, Puerto Rico's smallest string instrument, shows great regional variations in how it is strung and tuned. It and its jumbo version, the bordonúa, were often played to accompany religious songs. While the melodic cuatro has been embraced as a popular symbol of puertorriqueñidad (Puerto Ricanness), the tiple nearly disappeared in the 20th century.
Description (Spanish)
El tiple es el instrumento de cuerdas más pequeño de Puerto Rico, observándose un gran número de variaciones regionales respecto al modo en que se encorda y afina. El tiple y su versión gigante, el bordonúa, se tocaban a menudo para acompañar temas religiosos. Mientras que el cuatro melódico fue adoptado como símbolo popular de la puertorriqueñidad, el tiple prácticamente ha desaparecido en el siglo XX.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1078
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1078
The tiple, the smallest string instrument in Puerto Rico, may be the one with the most regional variety. Small guitar or ukulele-like instruments are found throughout Latin America with the name tiple.
Description
The tiple, the smallest string instrument in Puerto Rico, may be the one with the most regional variety. Small guitar or ukulele-like instruments are found throughout Latin America with the name tiple. The Puerto Rican tiple is derived from an instrument of the same name brought by settlers from the Canary Islands.
Description (Spanish)
El tiple es el instrumento de cuerdas más pequeño de Puerto Rico y, podría decirse, el que presenta la mayor cantidad de variaciones regionales. Es posible hallar bajo el nombre de tiple guitarras pequeñas o instrumentos similares al ukulele en toda América Latina. El tiple puertorriqueño se derivó de un instrumento del mismo nombre introducido a Puerto Rico por colonos provenientes de las Islas Canarias.
Date made
early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1081
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1081

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