Uganda
Ganda

Wood, cloth, leather, snakeskin
Collected in early 1920’s
Resonator height: 18 inches
Chordophone – Lyre – Plucked

This Uganda lyre, called a “ndongo,” has a bowl-shaped wood resonator that is covered with snakeskin. It has one small circular sound hole on the right-side. There are eight leather strings that are bound to the crossbar by strips of cloth.  The ‘ndongo is the most commonly used string instrument of the Ganda people.   Museum accession report states it was collected by Quaker missionaries during the early 1920’s.