ΛΑΓΟΥΤΟ
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LAGHOUTO (Lute)
Lutemaker (probably): Manolis Venios, Constantinople,
end 19th century. Decorated with ivory and tortoise-shell.

References

• Middle East - Lavta. ATLAS of Plucked Instruments. "The Lavta is an instrument that was popular in the early 20th century, particularly amongst Greeks and Armenians, with a famous player like Tanburi Cemil Bey. Then it was gradually replaced by the oud and around 1930 they were vanished. From the 1980’s there has been a revival of this instrument, and now you can find them again both in Turkey and in Greece.”, “The lavta is a kind of hybrid oud : the body looks much like a small (Turkish) oud (with a body made of many ribs), with a guitar-like neck. The bridge usually has mustache-like ends. The fingerboard is flush with the soundboard, which is often unvarnished, and has a carved and inlayed rosette. Notice the very peculiar fretting distances (with wound nylon frets), resembling the Turkish tanbur.”, “Playing the lavta is similar to an oud, with a long thin plectrum."