Decorative Ranat Ek

A decorative ranat ek (ระนาดเอก), the Thai xylophone. The body is boat-shaped, painted red, with a gold floral pattern and gold Thai letters along the side. The ends turn up and carry a gold edge. Dark wood bars hang over the trough on a white cord; the long way a ranat is strung. The whole piece rests on a small red foot.

In a Thai piphat ensemble, the ranat ek leads, and the player uses two beaters. The bars on a full instrument run from long and low to short and high, 21 of them. This listing says decorative. The photograph doesn't show 21 bars, doesn't show beaters, and doesn't give a length or a tuning. The bars are hung so they can be tapped. That is not a promise they are in tune.

One instrument. Dust it. Keep water off the paint and off the cord.