Circassian Culture and Folklore -- Over-a-century-old Circassian violin (шыкIэпшынэ; shichapshina) and bow (шабзэ; shabze), from the Bakhsan Region of Kabarda, are on display at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, UK. The bowed necked fiddle was manufactured prior to 1914.
Provenance: Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, UK.
Description on Horniman Museum's web site at:
1. http://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2012.133
2. http://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2012.133.1
3. http://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2012.133.2
Caucasian fiddle and bow, necked fiddle. Possibly a shichepshin of Adegeya or a khamlach of Karachay-Cherkessia. The boat-shaped body, neck and peg-box are carved from a single piece of wood. The wooden soundtable has a single circular soundhole. Two small rectangles of wood are inserted in the soundtable (possibly feet for a former fixed bridge), the one on the player’s right extends through the back of the instrument. Two gut strings run from rear pegs in the disc-shaped pegbox. The neck is incised with six grooves marking the notes. Outcurved wooden bow with horsehair string.
