A collection of koras: These two are part of a collection of nine owned by the Conservatory. Made from a large calabash gourd, the kora is a 21-string bridge harp unique to the Mande people of Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali in West Africa. The gourd is covered with cowhide and decorated on the back with domed upholstery tacks. "It's a relatively young instrument compared to the others the Mande people play--lutes and xylophones--but it is the 'trademark' instrument of the Mande," said Roderic Knight, professor of ethnomusicology and an expert on Mandinka music and the kora. The koras and several xylophones owned by Oberlin are used in the Mandinka Ensemble.