Bowl Lyre (ndongo)
← Back to search
- Title Bowl Lyre (ndongo)
- Category Utilitarian
- Medium Wood and goatskin
- Dimensions 21"h x 17"w x 7"d
- Year Completed Undated
- Notes The term 'ndongo' refers to the eight-string bowl lyre of the Baganda people from the South of Uganda*. In the musical tradition of the Baganda, the 'ndongo' is one of the oldest string musical instruments. It is not a ritualistic instrument, first appearing in Buganda in the royal court of the 'Kabaka' or the king of Buganda. It is made of a hollow bowl of wood, covered in goatskin. Two wooden arms attach this form to a yoke that has eight strings of plant fiber tied to cloth tuning rings. From this location, the strings travel through the goatskin and the bowl to attach to a wooden peg. *James Makubuya, “The Ndongo Bowl Lyre of the Baganda of Uganda: An Examination of Its Sonic Properties.” (African Music 7, no. 4, 1999), 22–28.
- Artist Uganda
- Credit John and Janet Yoder Collection
- Location Library Art Storage G11
- Accession Number 2022.0192
-
Status
Available
Request this art work
-
Administration
Admin View
Edit Details