Nigenkin

This is a two-stringed Japanese koto, known as nigenkin, which is a board zither with a long, slender, and slightly convex body made of thick bamboo, carved on the bottom. Two silk strings, currently broken, are tied to small silk tailpiece loops at one end, and looped around wooden friction pegs at the other end (one peg missing). A central wooden nut/positioner is inserted next to the pegs to guide both strings. Both bridges of the instrument are missing. The board has several small brass studs which serve as reference points. The holes of the pegs and tailpieces have brass eyelets. There is a small loop handle attached next to the peg's end. In these instruments, the strings are tuned in unison and the player uses a tubular pick and slide to play.