Kora

24-stringed Casamance style kora, harp-lute. The body is a large hemispherical gourd. The sound-table is of white cowhide that has been stretched over the gourd and secured to the sides with metal studs. The triangular-shaped motifs of studs decorating the resonator are symbols of the Konteh family to which the maker belongs. Two vertical rods of African rosewood (keno) pass under the hide either side of the tall bridge; the tops of these rods act as handles. The neck is a thick, round length of African rosewood, which passes through the gourd. The strings are secured to the neck, the longest bass strings at the top, graduating down to the shortest treble strings at the base. The strings pass over grooves in the the sides of a tall bridge, so that the plane of the strings is at right angles to the sound table. Below the bridge the strings are tethered to thick black nylon strings; these are tied around an iron ring which is attached to the spike and secured with a peg. The plucked strings are made of nylon fishing line of various gauges: the shorter strings are of transparent colourless nylon; the longer string strings are of blue and green nylon.