|Title||Baule Figural Harp Seperwa Musical Instrument Cote d'Ivoire 40 Inch African|
|Type of Object||Harp|
|Country of Origin||Cote d'Ivoire|
|Materials||Wood, skin, strings, pigment|
|Approximate Age||20th century/ second half|
|Dimensions||Height: 40 Inches
Width: 8.5 Inches
Depth: 27 Inches
|Overall Condition||fair; not currently playable|
|Damage/Repair||Wear, strings and pegs missing, chips, scratches, cracks, holes, old insect damage arrested|
Additional information: A Baule harp-lute (Seperwa is the Akan term for harp-lute) with a figure carved on top. The instrument shows signs of significant age and use.
This harp-lute would have four to six strings and produced a light melodious sound when strummed. It was a traditional instrument among the Akan peoples of Ghana and the Ivory Coast but sad to say has been replaced in the main by the western style guitar. This finely carved example has a kneeling male figure with a long carved beard in a feature appropriate to an elder or an elite. The harp would in fact be held upright on the lap with the strings facing the player with the carved figure on the sound box figuratively and metaphorically facing the player. The sound box is in the form of a human body with legs s base or support. The long neck of the Harp is decorated with rings ad surmounted by the kneeling figure. The back of the sound box is decorated with a standing figure in relief. This is a large harp-lute that would hold a prominent place in a collection.