NMM 1433. Biwa, Japan, ca. 1900-1940. Short-necked, pear-shaped lute with four strings. Five raised wooden frets. Two crescent-shaped soundholes above decorative strip of brocade that serves as a pickguard. Green, braided tassel tied to pegbox. Biwa music and its practice was used in the training of samurai beginning in the 16th century. The legacy of the biwa, which dates to the late 7th century, nearly disappeared following World War II, as a result of the demise of the samurai tradition in Japan. Board of Trustees, 1976.