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Shell zither

An elongated bowl with steep inner cross walls and longitudinal walls that merge with the floor in a curve. An almost rectangular opening outline. [There are eight diagonally drilled string guide perforations. Eight strings. One end of the string is tied to a crosspiece behind an outer perforation, the other is wrapped around a stem extension carved lengthways. An unused stem perforation. Four cord loops hanging down below the base of the bowl and fixed by a knot above a perforation in the base. There are three star-shaped perforations in the centre line of the bowl base. A head carved in full relief at the end of the stem process. This [is] hung with strings of beads and decorated with eye discs. from Ulrich Wegner: Afrikanische Saiteninstrumente, Staatliche Museen Berlin - SPK, 1984 (Appendix Object Catalogue)

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
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Cataloguing data

Object type
musical instruments
Dimensions
Länge x Breite x Höhe: 73,5 x 12,4 x 6,5 cm
Material/Technique
Wood, Plant fibre , Ivory
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III E 6848

Provenance and sources

where
Tanzania [Land/Region]
Uha [Region]

who
Langheld, Wilhelm - Collectors
W. Schultz - Former Possessors

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