Tar (uncertain)

Sitar (uncertain)

Tar or sitar. Wooden with oval body pinched in at front to form 2 sounding surfaces which are covered with a very thin membrane. Long wooden neck faced with diamond shaped ivory inlay. The hollow peg box curves back to form a circle. 6 lateral pegs (3 each side) 19 moveable frets of strong. Instr. painted red with gold trim and pictures of 4 people painted on back of body. Poor condition. Sounding surfaces broken. Some ivory inlay missing. Body cracked. Paint badly chipped. Frets broken, 2 missing. 1 string detached, the rest missing.

Length: 85.5 cm. Width, bottom sounding surface: 16cm. Width, upper surface: 14cm. Depth of body: 17cm. Max width of body: 24cm.