Ryuteki

A ryûteki in a wooden case with dragon carvings, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Japanese: 竜笛 (ryuuteki)

The ryûteki is a transverse flute used in gagaku music. It is used to play the melody line alongside the hichiriki.

It is quite similar to the nôkan, the main flute in the Noh theater. Both the ryûteki and the nôkan are typically made of bamboo wrapped in rattan or cherry bark twine, with seven fingerholes.

References

• Gallery labels, Musical Instruments gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art.