I have been working on a lyre kit I got from Musicmakers. It is a fine kit, and while it is not a specific replica of any particular lyre, it does derive from a very ancient one. That one is the Tartessian lyre. This instrument, images of which have been found carved onto stelae dating back to 800 BCE, is believed to date back to the tenth century BCE. The real one had 15 strings, arms of equal length, a straight bridge, and other features which were changed when the kit was designed. The real one is much larger too. It also had a rawhide head over the sound cavity, or so it is thought.
Tartessos, from which Tartessian, was a semi-mythical city located on the coast of the Iberian peninsula.
Discovering this was fascinating. It also made the idea of it being a Númenorean instrument fit better in my mind. The instrument is not completed; it requires some light sanding and more finish, perhaps some small decorative elements, before it is done. That said, here it is:
I have had a lot of fun with this. :) I have other projects to complete, but I will have a go at an actual replica of the Tartessian Lyre.
Eledhwen
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