Lutong The lutong is a tube zither of the Kenyah and Kayan people of Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is a quiet instrument used by women to accompany singing, and occasionally to lead a longdance. It is made from a section of bamboo with the strings pulled up from the peel, stretched taut by small sticks, and held in place by a braided piece of rattan at either end. There are usually only four strings that extend the length of the tube. There is a story told by the locals that if a man plays this instrument, he will be attacked by a tiger. The instrument shown was collected at a Kayan village in the middle Baram River system. Country: Sarawak, Malaysia Region: Asia Type: zither Collection: Mei Han, Randy Raine-Reusch Groups: Mei Han, Randy Raine-Reusch

Lutong

©  R. Raine-Reusch, May 2002