Skip to main content

Gusle

Date1940-1960 ca.
Place MadeYugoslavia, Europe
Place MadeHerzegovina
Place MadeBosnia
Place MadeSerbia
Place MadeMacedonia
Serial No.none
Signednone
MarkingsBranded toward lower end of neck, just above resonating chamber: [Y]UGOSLAVIA
DescriptionBody: neck, back and teardrop-shaped resonator carved from single piece of wood, maple (monoxylic construction); low relief chip carving throughout
resonator: teardrop-shaped resonator; single soundhole in back; goatskin soundtable tacked to body with 30 wooden spikes; five small holes punched in soundtable between endpiece and bridge, forming five-hole “+” shape
Finial: hand-carved, wooden finial as stylized horse head; integral construction
Peg: hand-carved, wooden, posterior peg, carved with vertical lines bordered by a zigzag motif; housed in stylized, carved, wooden feline head, strings passing through cat’s mouth
Bridge: carved wooden bridge in form of stylized serpent, notch cut in upper edge where string rests
String: consists of 48 horse hairs, tied to peg and to a segment of vegetal twine secured around endpiece (part of single piece construction) in the form of an owl

Associated bow: single-piece construction with stylized serpent handle, with two irregularly shaped cut-outs and a protruding head, and convex stick; at this juncture, a small drilled hole (perpendicular to bow construction) through which an undecorated
DimensionsWidth of resonator: 146.05 mm (5.75 in)
Overall length: 552.45 mm (21.75 in)
String length (knot on vegetal twine to peg): 381 mm (15 in)
Length of bow: 320.68 mm (12.63 in)
Bow string length: 215.9 mm (8.5 in)
Length of bridge: 83 mm (3.27 in)
Distance between legs of inverted “v”: 43 mm (1.69 in)
Width of bridge: 9.5 mm (.37 in)
Height of bridge: 30 mm (1.18 in)
Height of notch (distance from base of bridge to lowest point of notch): 27 mm (1.06 in)
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979
Object number04064
On View
Not on view
We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to use this site or by closing or clicking "I agree", you agree to the use of cookies. I agree