Vietnamese stringed instrument

What is it? Photo: F Z Campos This object, thought to be at least 2,000 years old, is believed to be a stringed musical instrument. The artefact is made from a single piece of deer antler and is c.353mm long, with a diameter of 12.96mm, and a maximum breadth of 25.31mm. The antler has been worked to produce a uniform, elongated shape with a smooth surface. The burr near the base of the antler has been shaped into a ‘bridge’ bearing a small notch with extensive wear possibly caused by a string, which was probably wound around an hourglass-shaped groove at the other end of the object. A hole, 3.31mm in diameter, has been drilled near this groove, perhaps to hold a peg for tuning the