HELP w/AFRICAN GUITAR/LUTE LIKE INSTRUMENT BOUGHT AT AUCTION TODAY

I was at a toy auction today & went a little nuts (I "won" a mountain of vintage star wars, star trek, lionel, transformers, etc..), and afterwards I was talking with one of the guys there about a front window full of African pieces for a future auction. I asked him if I could buy a few pieces now and he agreed - and sold them to me at a great price (nothing over $30- probably so I'd come back & buy like I did today!).
This one I'm curious about what it's called & if it has any value - it was obviously made for export/tourists; it has a 'Hand Crafted In New South Africa' sticker on it. I've never seen that one before.
I appreciate any info.

 

The details in the carvings on the front & back of the "guitar" body are beautiful - a lot of work for a tourist piece?

 

PS - My toy mountain! Time to start photographing & listing tomorrow!

 

Playing that thing looks Painful!

 

6th photo shows support legs (1 is missing), so maybe not that bad to play?

 

No one knows what /about this? Am I in wrong category? (I just saw the arts after tribal!)

 

Your carving is wonderful , but it would seem to be non traditional style of string instrument, made more recently for display....rather than to play !

 

Thanks.

 

That would be my feeling also. As you said in the original post, "it was obviously made for export/tourists."
I'm familiar with some African instruments, and though I don't recognize this one, it doesn't seem to have the sophistication one would expect in an instrument intended to be played by a musician.

 

sculpture kind of dogon style, i think