Lake Tanganyika region of southeastern Democratic Republic of CongoTanganyika
Tabwa

Wood, string
ca. Mid-20th century
Length: 19 inches; Width: 4 inches; Depth: 3 inches
Chordophone – Lute

Tabwa lute made of wood, with three strings and elevated resonator covered in leather on top.  The neck of the Tabwa lute shows a face that may represent an ancestor.  The new Tabwa rulers looked to ancestry to legitimize their right to lead, invoking  a chiefly lineage through sculptural representations of royal predecessors.