Senegal

Senegalese-Mande

Wood, calabash, skin, nylon string, metal ming and studs/tacks
ca. Mid-20th century

Height: 37.75 in
Width: 14.75 in
Depth: 9.5 in (w/bridge lowered)
Chordophone – Bridge-Harp – Plucked

Kora (bridge-harp) with fourteen green nylon strings attached to a lacquered wooden neck and tuning pegs. Large calabash gourd resonator is covered with light tan/cream colored leather attached with decorative silver metal rivets. The bridge, hand posts, tuning pegs, and neck are all made of the same lacquered wood. A bar just underneath the bridge is covered in red cotton cloth and two gold metal rivets, and protects the skin from the bridge. The sound hole is on the top edge of the calabash gourd and surrounded with silver metal rivets. Strings are attached to the bottom of the neck post, which runs through the gourd, via a large metal loop. Top/finial of the kora is stylized with a slightly beveled profile in front.

I use this kora for teaching my African music classes.