Hungary
Folk-made

Wood, metal
ca. Late 1800s
Length: 33.5 in, Width: 4.75 in
Strings – Zithers 

The ‘Kisfejes Citera’ is known in Hungary as a ‘small-headed zither’.  This instrument has many regional variations.  At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, zithers were widespread throughout almost the entire Hungarian-speaking region.  They were used to play well-known folk songs in a new style and folk song-like waltzes, because it would be difficult to perform the ornamentations of the old-style parlando-rubato melodies.

This ‘Kisfejes Citera’ has 20-strings and a two-toned wooden body with three side extensions. There are two sound holes, one larger, one smaller. There are also 32 frets in two lines (much like a piano with white keys and black keys) usually tuned to the Ionian/Diatonic scale.   Tunes can be played in the Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Ionian scales.  The top of the instrument is curled in a scroll, and the angled side of the instrument is carved with stylized designs of a darker wood, as well as decorated with incised leaves and flowers. There are three rubber rests on the bottom of the instrument, though more may have existed at one point.  It is played with both hands, much like a guitar with left hand on the neck and right hand plucking or using a pick/plectrum to pluck and strumming the strings.