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Lyre

Kenya Litungu

Kenya
Kenya

Wood, cowhide, cloth, rope
Collected in 1920's

Height: 22.5 inches
Chordophone - Lyre - Plucked

The "litunga," a typical Kenya lyre specimen with seven strings, comes from the Luhya (including the Bukusu subgroup) community in Kenya. The modern "litunga" has eight strings. This "litunga" has a wooden bowl-shaped body covered on top by cowhide that is attached with wooden pegs. Museum accessions report states it was collected by Quaker missionaries during the early 1920's.

 

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Catalog#: AF-CHLR-5-52