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Spike fiddle (part)

This is part of a spike fiddle that resembles the Middle Eastern kemanche. The resonator is a coconut shell covered with thin skin, glued onto the edges, and there is an iron-alloy spike that pierces through. The needle-end of this spike would probably go into a wooden dowel neck that would then have pegs and strings. The bent end of the spike would be the one in which the instrument would rest/stand. There are still remains of dark horsehair.

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  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:321.311 Spike bowl lutes
  • Repository:Swindon Museum & Art Gallery
  • Measurements:Height: 400mm; Diameter: 108mm