Lute

Taus. Long necked painted wooden instrument in shape of a bird. Sounding surface of red painted membrane. Metal strings attaching through bridge and bird's neck to an ivory peg. Fifteen movable metal frets. Front of neck slightly indented. Nine lateral pegs in side of neck. Strings attached inside neck, coming out through small ivory bound holes diagonally arranged on neck front. Six large nobbed wooden pegs. End of peg box carved and curling towards front. Most of instrument painted red with gold trim. The peg box is green and blue. The pegs are red. Wooden bow with black hair bound on with string and cloth. Bow in good condition. Instrument in poor condition. Membrane warped and broken. Pegboard end broken off. Head of bird detached. Three frets missing. Detached most strings missing, broken or detached. Paint badly flaked.