Cased Uyghur Kashgar Tembor (Tanbur) 57cm Lute - 5 Strings / 3 Strings

[Tourist Souvenir] Uyghur Xinjiang Kashen (Kashgar, in Chinese Turkestan) Tembor (Tanbur) 57cm Lute

~ with 5 Steel Strings across 3 Courses, over 18 Gut Frets
~ within a beautiful Fitted Case which Latches Shut

DIMENSIONS: 57cm long, 8.5cm maximum width, 9cm maximum height at bowl. At only 350g, it is pretty handy. It is likely a tourist souvenir version hence why it is only roughly a third / half as long as a tembor is specified to be ("full size" would be 1.4-1.5 metres). The lower cover (covering the bridge to the bottom of the lute) is missing. Within the fitted case, it weighs 2kg in total, and the case dimensions are 61.5cm x 12cm x 12cm.

MATERIALS & AESTHETICS: The sound bowl is mulberry. The instrument appears to be inlaid with bone throughout to give gorgeous patterns typical of Central Asia's folk instruments. The fitted case is leatherette-coated and velvet-lined.

PLAYABILITY: I would say that this instrument is a tembor / tanbur despite being undersized, and in fact it is all the more playable because of this. At a handy 350g it is probably the lightest string instrument l've ever held. The tuning pegs hold their tune (l've loosened the strings for transit). 

TUNING: I am certain this is a tembor / tanbur, therefore it would be tuned AA, D, GG (of course you can experiment to within a few semitones). 

MISSING LOWER CORNER SEGMENT COVER: This aforementioned lower cover would be small, and shaped like the segment of a circle, or like a fat crescent. To replace this small and functionally unnecessary missing part, l can offer an oversided patch of suede leather for free, which you can cut to shape with scissors, and then glue into place with fabric glue. PLEASE ASK. It doesn't affect the sound, as it would be below the bridge.