109. 109W A bone-inlaid wood musical instrument in the form of a peacock (taus or mayuri veena) Punjab, late 19th/ early 20th Century the body carved in the form of a peacock, with bone-inlaid eyes, peacock feathers inserted to tail 106 cm. long The taus is a traditional bowed string instrument originating in the Punjab region of India. It is shaped like a peacock (taus in Persian; mayura in Sanskrit) and is closely associated with Sikh devotional music (Gurbani kirtan) having been popularized by Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru. The taus has a resonant, rich sound produced by bowing its gut or metal strings, and it often features sympathetic strings which enhance its tonal depth. A similar example to the present lot is in the Horniman Museum, London (museum number M15.10.48/253).