// Listen with headphones for best experience //

Join museum technician Ben as he packs away a stringed musical instrument called a zither, which is in the shape of a crocodile. This 19th century zither originates from Myanmar (then Burma) and is made from wood coated with lacquer and gold leaf.

Traditionally it would have been used in chamber music, alongside the saung gauk (harp), patala (xylophone) and thro (violin), and is still used today!

Musical instruments aren’t always the easiest thing to protect! Watch as Ben crafts a bespoke box to keep the crocodile snug and safe before it is transported to its new home at V&A East Storehouse.

00:00 What is a zither?
01:30 How do we pack this wooden instrument?
02:06 Putting on nitrile gloves
02:55 Blocking the object in the box
03:25 Measuring up Plastazote
03:54 Glueing blocks into place
05:50 Drawing around the object
06:50 Cutting thick, squashy Plastazote
10:50 Glue "spiderwebs" and how to deal with them
11:18 Cutting Tyvek for contact with the object
12:46 Checking the crocodile zither is fitting snugly
14:29 Writing object number and orientation on the box
16:05 Securing the velcro ties to seal the box

See the crocodile zither and many other objects at V&A East Storehouse from 2025: [ Ссылка ]

More ASMR at the museum: [ Ссылка ]

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