gongoma

The Gongoma is a thumb Piano from Guinea - West Africa, and composed of half a calabash (gourd). The calabash is hollowed and a piece of light wood is assembled on top.
It has between 3 to 6 saw blades, cut to different lengths.
The tuning can be made by pushing the blades towards or away from the opening
Usually held around the neck with a strap, the instrument is played by tapping the bottom with one hand, while the other hand plays patterns from the blades. Other thumb pianos are found throughout Africa, generally all wooden made, and of a much smaller size, because of a different origin.
The Guinean Gongoma version is a fairly recent instrument that emerged from some of the pioneer musicians in Conakry, who got inspired by another similar instrument played down south in Sierra Leone.
Various decorations representing villages are painted on the back of  the instruments - Also available in natural calabash.