Lot 65B
North Africa, Tunisia, ca. early 20th century CE. An elegant and culturally evocative stringed musical instrument, carved from a single piece of dark hardwood, in the traditional form of a Zigua lyre. The design features a long, shallow resonator body, flared gently at both ends, each end drilled with a series of tuning holes for affixing gut or sinew strings (now missing). Rising from one end is a finely carved anthropomorphic figure, likely symbolic, suggesting a link to ancestral or ceremonial music traditions. These instruments were not only used for performance but also played an important role in ritual storytelling, healing ceremonies, or courtly praise singing, particularly among communities in central and southern Tunisia. The stylized figure atop the instrument may represent a spirit intermediary or respected elder, underscoring the lyre's symbolic role. Size: 20.75" L x 2.25" W (52.7 cm x 5.7 cm)
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#195962
- Condition: Tiny area of discoloration to one corner, stains in central recess as shown else intact and excellent.
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