Uyghur Cowhide Ghijek (violin) with Bow

If you have any Qoestions ? PLease write me email !

                   It has also small size as Gift and also for Decorative

The instrument is easy to tune and easy to care for. It can make an excellent instruement for study, for entertainment, or for your colletion.

The Ghijek has a long and storied history, first appearing in a bow and arrow shape in early Uyghur Oral histories. Its print debut occured during the Song Dynasty (960-1279CE) in China, where it was described as having horsetail strings. The instrument seemed to develop in parallel with the more well known Persian Ghijek, yet the Uyghur Ghijek was unique because of its use of . These Ghijeks typically had 2 bowed strings, and 10 sympathetic strings, as noted by Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911CE) scholars. Over time, the Ghijek standardized on the short neck form. In 1955, Uyghur masters standardized the Ghijek to 4 strings and aligned the tones with the western scale, giving us a modern instrument that maintains ties to its more than 1000 year-old tradition.

To hear the Ghijek is to hear the spring; flowers blooming, birds singing, the sun bathing the world in its light. It is no mistake that the Ghijek is the most popular bowed instrument in an Uyghur orchestra. It is also played alone, in solo recitals.

Our Ghijek is carved from the wood of an apricot tree. Very thin wood covers the bowl, and cowhide is stretched inside the drum as a sound table. We have another version of this instrument that uses fine snakeskin. It is strung with high quality steel strings. Its scale length measures 46cm. The bowl has many holes, to make the sound more resonant, and it is adorned with colorful ornaments. It is made in a workshop by master craftsmen, in  Kashgar.

The Ghijek a special instrument unique to the Uyghur Nation. It is a "spiked fiddle", meaning it is meant to be played upright, rather than horizontally like a western fiddle. It has four strings and a short neck, making it similar to a modern violin. To play the Ghijek, place the head on your leg, the neck in your left hand, and hold the bow with your right. If you are familiar with playing a violin, playing the Ghijek should come easily.