Gourd, wood, fiber strings, leather

Harp

Liberian Loma Harp

Liberia
Liberian

Gourd, wood, fiber strings, leather
ca. Early 20th Century

Height: 14 inches; Width: 15 inches
Chordophone - Harp - Plucked

This Liberian "Loma harp" is made from a fork-shaped piece of wood (tree branch) that serves as a frame that is mounted/lashed onto a half gourd. This frame forms a triangle with an attached cross bar at the top. There are eight strings that are plucked. It is played with the open end of the gourd held against the chest to serve as a resonator. This "Loma harp" comes from the collection of Glen Rosselot, missionary who was stationed in the mission fields in Shenga, Sierra Leone in the 1920's.

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-CHHP-42-65