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banjo

Zither-banjo, or 5-string banjo, made of wood, the fingerboard and sound box rim of dark wood, the rest in a reddish wood with pale wood inlay: a single line between top and base of fingerboard and a sunray pattern on base of sound box. Sound box has metal inset with vellum cover, tightened with screws. Three metal strings present, wood bridge, metal tailpiece and frets. The fifth string would have gone over a small bridge at the 5th fret, then through a long hole to the top of the neck where it is tuned like the other strings from a normal tuning machine, the sixth tuner left empty. The fingerboard and peghead inlaid with mother-of-pearl decoration incorporating stars and crescents. Maker's mark on celluloid (?) disc inlaid at back of peghead. Metal plate screwed to join of neck and bowl at back.

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    British Museum
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  • Repository:British Museum