{"product_id":"kuba-harp-drum-congo-rohner-collection-157310","title":"Kuba Harp\/Harp-Lute Congo Rohner Collection","description":"\u003col\u003e\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKuba Harp \/ Harp-Lute from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Hide-Covered Resonator\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eAn intriguing traditional Kuba harp or harp-lute from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, featuring a wooden resonating body covered with stretched animal hide. The hide-covered body gives the instrument an almost drum-like appearance, while its original construction was designed to produce sound through the tensioned strings and resonating chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eThis example is missing its strings, but retains the distinctive traditional form and construction of a Central African stringed instrument. The combination of carved wood and stretched hide, along with its aged surface and signs of use, gives the piece wonderful character and an authentic ethnographic presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eMusical instruments held an important place in the cultural traditions of the Kuba peoples of the Congo Basin, where harps and other stringed instruments were used for music, entertainment, storytelling, and ceremonial or social occasions. Kuba artistic traditions are particularly renowned for their sophisticated woodcarving and beautifully finished objects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eWith its unusual hide-covered resonator and sculptural form, this would make an excellent decorative ethnographic object or addition to a collection of African musical instruments. It is offered as a vintage\/antique ethnographic instrument and is not currently playable without restoration and replacement strings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eNote the phallic symbol on the back below the hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Kuba people, who are located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have a long history of creating intricate and unique figurative carvings as a form of African art. These carvings often depict human or animal forms and are created using a variety of materials, including wood and bone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: John R. Rohner Collection\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eRohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1980s. His passion for this art only grew through the decades he built his collection––always with an aim for a broad and representative array of pieces. The collection appears in his book, \u003ci\u003eArt Treasures from African Runners\u003c\/i\u003e (2000, University Press of Colorado). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem #286 on pg. 152\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight (in): \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e16.75\u003cbr\u003eWidth (in): 7.5\u003cbr\u003eDepth (in): 4.5\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e157310\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"sku 157000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52175364325671,"sku":"157310","price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_1890_cb95601a-b8b7-4c21-9a60-415b07a64337.jpg?v=1792690634","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/kuba-harp-drum-congo-rohner-collection-157310","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}