Cleveland Museum of Art

Spike fiddle (endingidi or iningidi)

Date

1900s

Medium

Wood, snakeskin, and plant fiber

Culture

Eastern Africa, Uganda or Rwanda-Burundi, unknown maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The endingidi is a single-stringed chordophone musical instrument. Scholars believe it was introduced into the Kingdom of Buganda (in present-day Uganda) between 1904 and 1907. From Uganda, it was later introduced to present-day Rwanda, where it is called iningidi and played by Hutu musicians. Horsehair stretched from the end of the handle and over the reptile-skin–covered tube sound box, and attached to the handle with the wooden tuning peg. A deeply curved bow, now missing, would have allowed a male musician to play the instrument as he held it vertically. Still played today, the music of the endingidi is often heard at weddings or played by royal Bugandan court musicians. A photograph taken around 1929 shows that this instrument once had a tassle of long, black animal hair attached to the handle. This tassel beautified the instrument and gave it a dignified "clothed" presence when played at the Bugandan court.

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