A likembe, lamellaphone, West Zambia, probably made at the Victoria Falls Craft Centre, circa 1970? (Language: Luchazi or Lozi.) The wooden body is quadrilateral, with sloping shoulders. The main part of the body is a closed box that is surmounted by a cut out section, where the straining bar is fixed with wire threaded through seven holes between the keys. The body is carved from a single piece of wood, with a rectangular section cut out of the right-hand side for the hollowing out of the body cavity, and sealed back into place. The cavity contains rattling objects. Two sound-holes are carved out of the base and the lower back, the latter one is opened and closed with the middle finger to produce timbral modifications. The top of the instrument is carved with a stylised human face within a geometrical design. The eight iron keys have jingling iron sleeves.
lamellaphone
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