Rababa, spike fiddle. The neck and rectangular frame of stained and varnished wood with incised decoration of geometrical and foliate designs. The vertical sides of the frame extend beyond the intersections with the horizontals. The neck terminates in a finial with turned decoration. The goatskin back and table are tacked to the frame with brass studs. The single string, which is later than the instrument, is of synthetic fibre similar to parcel string, coated dark brown. The donor reported that the rababa string was usually treated with a white shaving cream. The string is attached to the tuning peg by a metal hook at the proximal end, and to the metal spike at the distal end. Small, inverted V-shaped wooden bridge. With outcurved bow (M24a-1993), a wooden stick stained dark brown with horsehair bound at either end by black masking tape.
Rababa, spike fiddle. The neck and rectangular frame of stained and varnished wood with incised decoration of geometrical and foliate designs. The vertical sides of the frame extend beyond the intersections with the horizontals. The neck terminates in a finial with turned decoration. The goatskin back and table are tacked to the frame with brass studs. The single string, which is later than the instrument, is of synthetic fibre similar fo parcel string, coated dark brown. The donor reported that the rababa string was usually treated with a white shaving cream. The string is attached to the tuning peg by a metal hook at the proximal end, and to the metal spike at the distal end. Small, inverted V -shaped wooden bridge. With outcurved bow (Horniman Museum number: M24a-1993), a wooden stick stained dark brown with horsehair bound at either end by black masking tape.
