Mandora; ca. 1420; Milan?; Italy; Italian; Boxwood; rosewood; ebony; Height: 14 3/16 in. (36 cm); Chordophone-Lute; This is the most elegant example of three similar; extant small stringed instruments that date from the early fifteenth century. Originally the instrument would have been strung with five strings; but whether it was played with a bow or plucked with a plectrum or fingers; remains unclear