Kus: Iran musical instrument

A kus is a long-sized ancient Persian kettle drum that is analogous to timpani.

It seems the musical instrument was fabricated during the Achaemenid dynasty of Iran for their military functions.

source of picture: jiyimusical.en.alibaba..

The musical instrument was a pair of drums that are manufactured of clay, wood or metal in the form of hemispherical kettle, having skin spread over the mouth of the instrument. The musical instrument was played with the use of drum sticks of leather or wood. The musical instrument often was carried on the back of a horse, the back of a camel, or the back of an elephant during the wars to encourage the soldiers. The kus was also played in several occasions like the festivals, weddings and decamping.

In the ancient times, the musical instrument was accompanied by the karnay. Specifically the Persian epic poets Ferdowsi and Nizami for labeling the war fields cited the musical instrument and the karnay in number of entries. Several Persian miniature paintings portray the presence and importance of the musical instrument together with the karnay in the battle fields.