This reed pipe, known as the 'sompotan', belongs to a group of musical instruments from the Raffles Museum's Borneo collection. This instrument was played either by the Dusun or the Murut communities in Sabah, who have similar cultures as they live in close proximity.It is made from dried gourd and eight bamboo pipes, arranged in a double layered raft, fitted vertically into the shell of a gourd, which functions as a sound box. The sound box of the sumpotan is now missing. The instrument is played by blowing or sucking on the gourd's mouth.It can be played as a solo instrument for personal entertainment or in groups to accompany dancing.
