Lyre (ndongo, endongo, entongoli, or kissar)
Unknown Artist
by 1928
Medium
Wood, reptile skin, pelt, cloth, and natural fiber
Dimensions
w. 43.2 cm, l. 57.8 cm · diam. 31.8 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House
Accession Number
1929.346
About this artwork
Lyres are common instruments across eastern Africa. The many names––endongo, ndongo, kissar, or entongoli—reflect how many different groups use this Ugandan type. This example is made from a wooden bowl-shaped sound box covered in the skin of a reptile, possibly a monitor lizard. The strings lead up to a crossbar once decorated with goat hair tassels at each end and sometimes cowrie shells.