Featured Valiha tube Zither from Madagascar

Hi all,
I was hoping someone might have some information on these musical instruments.
and could help with dating it?
It is 21" long, Made of bamboo. hand carved. Has eight wire strings,and is wrapped with some kind of Animal hide where the wires end. It even has a Lemur lol...
Mikey

 

Interesting.....I never saw a "tube" zither before!! Any idea where it's from??

 

It's from Madagascar. Only 11,062 miles from California.
Mikey

 

If I'd read your posting carefully, I'd have seen that..... Sorry!!!!

 

I had never heard of them before either so makes it hard to determine age.
@Any Jewelry have you seen these before?

 

I have, and I have heard them too, a pleasing sound.
This is a fairly recent one, with steel strings, and obviously made for the tourist trade with all those 'local' carvings. The lemur is the national animal of Madagascar.
On the old ones the strings were cut from the same piece of bamboo as the body of the valiha.

 

Bamboo strings, very interesting.
Thanks A J.
Mikey

 

Fascinating. Does one blow down it at the same time as plucking the strings or is it just plucked?

 

Just plucked. Interesting to watch them played, not at all the same as playing a Western zither or autoharp.

 

Ah okay. Would be interesting if it was both. Imagine the range of sounds and techniques.

 

Just checked it out on YouTube. Different methods of playing. It can be plucked like a harp or struck with a stick a bit like a dulcimer. Bit of an odd turning, nothing like western scales. I wonder if they have standardised tunings or if each locality has their own slant on it?

 

https://www.europeana.eu/en/blog/introducing-the-valiha

 

I took the online lesson and my Valiha needs some tuning!! That's all I'm saying. Lol
It is missing a couple of the little wood spacers.
I think I can fix it!
Mikey

 

Sounds tricky tuning it. Not sure I would manage.