The Schoenhut Toy Bowed Psaltery with carrying case, is designed to encourage your little one's musical curiosity.  This twenty-two stringed, fully chromatic musical instrument is ideal  for young children.  The Psaltery is arranged similarly to a piano; the white keys on one side and the black keys on the other. By having each string tuned to a specific pitch, it is easy to attain a pleasing violin-sound without fretting any strings. 

The Psaltery was a popular instrument during the Middle Ages; it is depicted in various forms in manuscripts and carvings.  It was brought to England during the time of the crusades and is thought to have been based on the North African instrument, the Qanum.  By the 18th century, it had developed into several other instruments'; hit with hammers it became the Hammered Dulcimer, fitted with a keyboard mechanism the Harpischord.  These two eventually combinted to produce the most important instrument of modern  times - the piano.

20.5"L x 7.2"W x 2.2"H. Birch Plywood.