Goat Hair, Calabash, Fabada, Leather String

Harp

Mande Bolon

Mali
Mande

Goat Hair, Calabash, Fabada, Leather String
ca. Mid-20th century

Height: 39 inches Calabash Resonator Diameter: 15 inches
Chordophone - Harp - Plucked

This savanna instrument is a Bolon (bow-LONE, also nbolon), a kind of (bass/hunter's) gourd harp/lute, from Guinea/Mali. This traditional Mande harp consists of a large open-top gourd covered with goat skin and hair, fretless neck, upright bridge, and 3 tunable leather laced strings, which are turned by sliding up and down the neck. The bolon is lower pitched than the other West African harps like the ngoni or kora and is said to have association with the warrior class. It is used to accompany other instruments such as ngoni or kora, and/or to provide a mellow acoustic bass sound.

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-CHHP-18-79

Charry, Eric. Mande Music. University of Chicago, 2000.