REBAB (68.59.226a,b)
Java
Cordophone

Rebabs, or bowed spike fiddles, are characterized by shallow, oval bodies, with the neck of the fiddle piercing the body like a spike.  They are often made from wood, or sometimes from a hollowed, half coconut shell covered with hide.  Unlike their Western cousin, the violin, spike fiddles are played upright, like the cello.  The term rebab is an Arabic term, meaning “bowed string instrument.”  Although the rebab probably originated in Arabia or Persia, it appears in Indonesia after the 10th century.  Spike-fiddle rebabs are used in the Javanese gamelan to create a dialogue with the singers.

Click on the bottom image to see a close-up.