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African American Banjo
about 1850-1875
Carved head, polygonal sound box
This unique white-pine banjo has a tuning head carved in the figure of a Caucasian male and a 13-sided sound box--with a wood top instead of a skin--carved in the shape of the sun. It was probably made in Virginia by an African American slave or by someone familiar with African culture, perhaps sometime between 1850-1875 in Virginia. Banjos were popularized in the United States by slaves in the 1800s and then exported to Europe.
Notes
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31" long, 10" in diameter |
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Web display only |
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