Spike fiddle (endingidi or iningidi)
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
Wood, snakeskin, and plant fiber
Dimensions
l. 44.2 cm · diam. 10.2 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House
Accession Number
1929.347
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The endingidi is a single-stringed chordophone musical instrument. Scholars believe it was introduced into the Kingdom of Buganda (in present-day Uganda) between 1904 and 1907. From Uganda, it was later introduced to present-day Rwanda, where it is called iningidi and played by Hutu musicians. Horsehair stretched from the end of the handle and over the reptile-skin–covered tube sound box, and attached to the handle with the wooden tuning peg. A deeply curved bow, now missing, would have allowed ...