Rare harp-lute "korikaariye" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3039168

Description

wood, gourd, cowhide, leather strips/sinews, cloth, metal sheet, resonance box made from gourd, nearly round, just slightly flattened on top, where the figural string holder is situated which is tightly attached to resonator and long wooden neck by leather strips, the latter crowned by a spade-shaped crest of metal sheet; the resonator, except its lateral opening, entirely covered with cowhide, band of fabric for support, traces of old age;
the Senufo harp is called “blongbobo” if it is the one-stringed version, and “korikaariye” if multi-stringed. It is played at funeral ceremonies and secular performances. Although the decorative string holder can be appreciated on purely aesthetic grounds, the female form also represents bush spirits and refers to the powers of divination.

Comparing literature

Brincard, Marie-Therese, Sounding forms, Washington D.C. 1989, p. 90, ill. 9