Spike lute

Two-stringed spike lute. The back of the instrument is bowl-shaped. It is covered with light brown velvet, with a mirror at the centre. The skin soundtable is painted with the symbol of the khamsa, in red with a green outline. The neck is unfretted and is covered with dark blue fabric. The instrument and the tassels at each end are decorated with cowrie shells. The two strings are permanently fixed to the neck by a brass stud and seem to be untunable. .