Ah,
well, it isn't a lute, unless that's a more general term than the way I use it (for the things with about fifteen strings). But since laud means lute and so does laute, perhaps it is just a variety of lute. It is flat-backed and was pictured along with a bandurria in the book I got with it. So I guess it's a Spanish version of something that was once popular in all of Western Europe and made it to S. America too. Thanks everyone. Now wasn't that much more fun than if i had just searched it on the plain old internet myself?

Today I shall have a fully organic selection of couscous with pumpkin seeds and carrot, battered cauliflower, red sauce with fried tofu and mushrooms, mushy lentils with spices, steamed broccoli, slad and perhaps some chips.