Uganda 
Ganda (Baganda)

Snake Skin with Wildebeest hair, wood, fiber
Collected 1904 by Carl Akeley (Smithsonian Curator)
Height: 26 inches
Chordophone – Lyre – Plucked

A bowl lyre of the Ganda people.  This “ndongo” has a shallow hemispherical body of wood with a sound table of snakeskin and one small circular soundhole at upper right side. The central portion of the back is covered by a small square of animal skin that is pierced around the perimeter by strands of twisted plant fiber radiating to edge of body. Two wood arms pierce the sound table and support the wood yoke at upper end. Attached to ends of yoke are  large tufts of Wildebeest hair. Seven strings of twisted plant fiber pierce sound table and body and are tied to a round fiber ring at the lower end, and are tied to cloth tuning rings at yoke. Most African lyres lack bridges; the strings vibrate against the sound table to create a buzzing sound.