The figure is a seated boy, who grasps the stave of the instrument in one hand, close to the tuning-peg. The other hand holds a tiny bow between forefinger and thumb, close to the string of the instrument. The stave rests against his shoulder, the can resonator on the end, behind him. The stave and bow are made of twigs; the lower end of the stave is wide and shaved flat, and holds the tuning peg, which is carved from another little stick. The ‘string’ is a fine wire, twisted round the peg at one end, the other end covered by the resonator. The resonator is made from a sheet of tin, crushed round the stave and shaped like a can.
See the online virtual exhibition on the Iziko website here https://virtual.iziko.org.za/samuele-makoanyane.html
Photogrammetry: Stephen Wessels
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