Lyre

 

Jochlaute - World Museum Vienna, Austria - CC BY-NC-SA.

https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/15504/VO_166457

Origin: Ancient Greek

Materials:  A lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke that lies in the same plane as the sound-table and consists of two arms and a crossbar.

Family: String

Similar: Lyre, yoke lute, lute

Use: Played by being strummed like a guitar or a zither, rather than being plucked with the fingers as with a harp. A pick called a plectrum was held in one hand, while the fingers of the free hand silenced the unwanted strings.

Social context: Ceremonies, healing rituals.

Link: Wikipedia