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Gakubiwa; lute

A gakubiwa, short-necked lute.The name of the maker to whom the instrument is ascribed is written inside the back of the instrument. The pear-shaped wooden body of tripartite construction. The later varnished oak table is pierced with two sound holes, and traversed by a sharkskin band (bachimen) stained green. There is a trace of a circle near the edge of the protective band on the table, this is normally a metal fixture and is a symbol of the moon. Five frets. The reflex pegbox terminates in a pentangular finial, with four strings tuned from large fluted pegs.

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  • Materials:mother of pearl, tortoise shell, silk, leather, wood
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  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:321.321-6 necked bowl lutes
  • Repository:Horniman Museum and Gardens
  • Measurements:overall: 330 x 900 x 205 mm