It is very true what BI writes. There are so many questions to ask – but few to answer them, if any at all – so fellow forumites, get out of the easy chair and start moving. Go back to mail #2 and have a close look. It’s from the 6th century. In the start I was sceptical, I think I have changed my mind as to what it is, now I think it could very well be an early kora. The early types would not necessarily have had the tip bent like they have on the later types, but the whole idea of the kora, to have the broad tip for extra striking power when used is there. If this is a kora, it is from the 6th century, and in the span of time some changes would have been made, so it could very well be that this is one of the first of it’s type. If this is so, and we are guessing, what could/would the even earlier ‘kora’ have looked like?
This is to move too fast, I know, we should at least have established that this is a kora type, but nothing wrong trying to be ahead of the others