Musical Instrument Item Number: 3577/10 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Begena stringed instrument. Square-shaped resonator, covered with stretched rawhide, which is nailed in place. Triangular wood frame extends from top of sound chamber, made up of two arms inserted through the skin and connected at the top by a crossbar. The crossbar is rectangular on either end, with notches that the arms are inserted into, and a cylindrical centre where the strings are attached. The strings are fastened across the front of the sound box to wood pegs. U-shaped leather pieces placed between each string and the bridge.
A begena is a ten-stringed box-lyre type of instrument.