Tanzania
Nyamwezi

Wood, gourd, lizard skin, nylon, glass seed beads, metal
20th century
Length: 34.6 in; Width: 6.75 in; Depth: 10.25 in
Chordophone – Lute-bowed-unfretted

This zeze (izeze) is a bowed and plucked fiddle from the Nyamwezi peoples of Tanzania.  The name zeze is somewhat generic and can mean many kinds of stringed instruments that are bowed and plucked.  This instrument features a finely carved ancestor figure atop of the neck of the instrument with a string of beads.  It has long pegs and a lizard skin membrane over the body of the gourd resonator. The well-handled and worn patina of the instrument neck, suggesting many years, even decades of traditional use. At some point this Zeze harp was restrung with nylon strings and is still playable. Originally the zeze was played by professional traveling musicians who go from village to village as a storyteller or performer at festivals and ceremonies.