Description: The asanda is a chordophone, in which is apart of the harp family. It’s played to accompany singing and ritualistic chants associated to “ancient fertility writes”. This instrument and instruments like are similar in shape and design to the ancient harps found in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Sumeria and Ancient Babylonia. It’s believed the Asanda is a ritualistic fertility instrument in which bears the carving of a female “woman” or female deity of some type. Also the harp is decorative with a type of cowry shell this is mostly ritualistic and ornamental. This type of harp is believed to have its origins in Central Africa. However the asanda is found and played in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or formerly Zaire, some have two heads (ornamental?) others have single heads. The asanda in my collection has a total of 5-strings and which the tuning pegs are, hand carved.

Construction: The bowl of this type of harp is hand carved likely from a single peace of wood. The hide is then prepared then during the preparation the strings from animal fur or hide them selves are also individually inserted into the animal hide its self. One sound hole is carved into the hide or leather. Corwie shells are added as ornamentation and are glued on with a type of "pitch" or "sap". At the center of the body the width is 20.3cm. The over all length (from body to head where tuning pegs are located) is 60.7cm in length; the asanda (my specimen) has 5 playing strings. The strings them selves are made of animal hide or some type of fiber them selves.