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A small, rectangular 13-stringed instrument with original cardboard box and instruction manual. The body of the koto is made of brown plastic with wood-grain decoration across the top convex surface. There is woven orange fabric applied to one end and red fabric at the other. The strings are of white synthetic material, and are held up by 12 cream coloured plastic moveable bridges. There are decorative paper stickers applied to each end. The lid of the box is printed in a red and silver pattern, and the paper instruction manual is black and white with a silhouette of a Japanese temple printed on the cover.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"fabric","id":"THES345037"},{"text":"synthetic fabric","id":"x33026"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"glue","id":"AAT14815"},{"text":"cardboard","id":"AAT14224"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"},{"text":"glueing","id":"AAT53012"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"},{"text":"stringing","id":"x37524"},{"text":"stapling","id":"AAT53021"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded plastic with metal, synthetic strings, glued fabric and printed adhesive paper\r\nPrinting ink and staples on cardboard\r\nPrinting ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"David Bowie Archive","id":"THES394093"},{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2024NX9372","2024NX9373","2024NX9371","2024NX9370","2024NX0792","2024NX0791","2024NX0790","2024NX0788","2024NX0787","2024NX0794","2024NX0793","2024NX0789","2024NX0786"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CNSC","id":"THES49201"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CNSC","id":"THES49201"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CNSC","id":"THES49201"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CNSC","id":"THES49201"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"musical instruments","id":"AAT41620"}],[{"text":"boxes","id":"x44081"}],[{"text":"boxes","id":"x44081"}],[{"text":"manuals","id":"AAT26395"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1977","earliest":"1972-01-01","latest":"1981-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"DBA/2/1/11","id":"ARC269972"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Lent by the V&A Americas Foundation through the generosity of Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company LLC ","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"4.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Koto","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"30.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Koto","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Koto","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box lid","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"32.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box lid","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box lid","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box base","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"31","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box base","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Box base","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"9.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Instruction manual","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"13.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Instruction manual","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Japanese text printed on front of manual. Japanese text and numbers printed on back of manual."}],"objectHistory":"This traditional Japanese instrument was used by Bowie to record the song ‘Moss Garden’ from his 1977 album <i>“Heroes”</i>. This song was one of four tracks on <i>“Heroes”</i> co-written with Brian Eno, and the track highlights Bowie’s long-term fascination with Japan and Japanese culture, being a conceptual piece based on a location in Kyoto, Japan. The koto is a plucked zither instrument, and the national instrument of Japan, being played on the track over a backing of soft synthesizer sounds. The decision to use the koto was perhaps inspired by the German band Neu!, whose second album (released in 1973) featured the instrument.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Koto used by David Bowie for 'Moss Garden' from <i>Heroes</i>, ca.1977","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Nicholas Pegg, <i>The Complete David Bowie</i> (Great Britain, 2016)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Album: \"Heroes\" (1977)","id":"AUTH401600"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2131:1-2024","LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2131:2-2024","LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2131:3-2024","LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2131:4-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"2131","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"David Bowie Archive Number","id":"THES394108"},"number":"1977.3007.0057"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-24","recordCreationDate":"2024-07-23","availableToBook":false}}