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Shell lyre

Description in the historical Kaupt catalogue: "Decorated with cowrie shells and paternoster beans, no button on the curved (bottom) side. There are a few rattling stones inside." Like no. 189, but the straps are not grouped together to form a cord. A round body shell. Vegetable material and old string material are bound into the ball rings. The lower string binding on a crosspiece. Two small membrane perforations on the sides. The carrying strap leads from the body to the longitudinal bar. No skin residue on the resonator, no carvings and no painting. The longitudinal arms under the membrane resting on the lower edge of the shell. A tear in the skin. Five flattened plant stalks in a raft-like arrangement attached to the cover with black adhesive mass transversely under the string extension. The strings make a buzzing sound when they vibrate. The adhesive mass on both sides of the soundboard is covered symmetrically with cowrie shells and red beans. 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

Cultural attribution
Wagaya
Object type
musical instruments
Dimensions
Länge: 10,7 cm (Steg)
Durchmesser: ca. 36 cm
Länge x Breite x Höhe: 78 x 49,2 x 18 cm
Material/Technique
Wood, Leather , Plant fibre , Beans (abrus precatorius), Tendon
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III E 9264

Provenance and sources

where
Kenya [Land/Region]
who
Wagaya

who
Adolf von Wulffen - Collectors
Boehm - Former Possessors

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