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Source Description
Lyres are common instruments across eastern Africa. The many names––<em>endongo</em>, <em>ndongo</em>, <em>kissar</em>, or <em>entongoli—</em>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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
110821
label
Lyre (ndongo, endongo, entongoli, or kissar)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
110821
contentType
object
title
Lyre (ndongo, endongo, entongoli, or kissar)
description
Lyres are common instruments across eastern Africa. The many names––<em>endongo</em>, <em>ndongo</em>, <em>kissar</em>, or <em>entongoli—</em>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.
date
by 1928
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80002938
genreSpecific
Musical Instrument
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 31.8 cm (12 1/2 in.); Overall: 43.2 cm (17 in.)
accession
1929.346
Source extras
tec
Wood, reptile skin, pelt, cloth, and natural fiber
tombstone
Lyre (ndongo, endongo, entongoli, or kissar), by 1928. Wood, reptile skin, pelt, cloth, and natural fiber; diameter: 31.8 cm (12 1/2 in.); overall: 43.2 cm (17 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House, 1929.346
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Imagine the buzzing, resonant sound that this string instrument would make.
creditline
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:52:38.330000
sourceId
110821
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood, reptile skin, pelt, cloth, and natural fiber
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
23352c29db9432c3