Bow Harp

This is an example for an unusual type of bow-and-bridge harp lute, found along the coast of Sierra Leone. The sound box is carved from wood, with a projecting figurehead, rather than the usual calabash. The earliest examples were collected in the 1790s and are among the earliest collected wooden artefacts from sub-Saharan Africa.

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Further Information

• Type: Musical instruments
• Object: Bow Harp
• Materials: Wood, Leather, animal skin
• Culture Group: Other
• Dimensions: 305mm x 200mm x 725mm
• Production Date: Pre 1899
• Associated Places: Unknown
• Associated People: Thomas Joshua Alldridge (Collector)
• Museum: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
• Accession Number: BMAG:R3483/126

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