One-string fiddle, or massenqo

Artist Ethiopia

Datec. 1960

MediumWood

ClassificationsSound Devices

Credit LineGift of James Merrill

Object number2002.20.10.1-2

Description1: Bowed instrument. Consists of wooden body/sound box that is diamond-shaped. Body is made of wild olive (qori). Face and back of body are left open. Neck is inserted through middle of one corner of body and protrudes through opposite corner. Face and back of box are each covered in tanned parchment, making a sounding board. Skins extend around over the body and edges are stitched together down side of box. Near top is a peg for tensioning the string. String would have been made of many strands of horse hair. Would be about as thick as that of the European cello.
2: Bow is sharply arc-shaped and is more curved at end opposite the hand grip. Bow string would be of horse hair and very thick. Small piece of bowed wood is the bridge that the string would pass to. Legs would stand just above center of sounding board.

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