Made with wood, leather, copper, bone and natural fibers.
The Mangbetu harp, from the northeastern D.R.C.
is a stringed arched instrument famed for its anthropomorphic design,
featuring a carved head with elongated features representing
aristocratic beauty. Instruments like these, combining function with aesthetic
beauty, featured a wooden soundbox covered in animal hide.
The neck terminates in a carved human head with a "tumburu"
hairdo, symbolizing the elite status of the Mangbetu. Sometimes called a
Kundi, although this is a term used to generally describe arched harps
in the region.
Height: 25 ¼" (26 ⅛ on its 6" x 6" customized metal base.
Width: 6 ½"
Depth: 8".
