They are playable four-string ukuleles, not decorative ornaments. That said, we would position them as artisan-made instruments for beginners, casual players and gifting, rather than trying to compete with specialist professional instruments.

Yes absolutely. The soprano ukulele is compact, relatively straightforward to get started with and there is an enormous amount of free beginner tuition available online. A nice present for somebody who has always fancied having a go.

Yes, expect to tune them before playing. Transport, temperature changes and particularly new strings settling and stretching can all affect tuning. This is perfectly normal for a new ukulele. It's usual that new strings commonly require several retuning sessions while they settle.

Standard soprano ukulele tuning is G-C-E-A. A small clip-on tuner works well, although beginners can also use one of the many ukulele tuning apps available for a smartphone.

No – and that's part of the point. These are artisan-made wooden instruments, so small differences in grain, colour and hand finishing should be expected. Retailers may want to explain this to customers who are accustomed to perfectly identical factory products.

They look great on an instrument stand or suitable wall hanger where customers can actually see them. As with wooden musical instruments, avoid prolonged direct sunlight, radiators and extreme heat or humidity.

Not at all. In fact, that's rather the attraction. Gift shops, lifestyle stores and fair-trade/artisan retailers can sell them as an unusual playable gift with a genuine Indonesian back-story. You don't need to know your C-sharp from your elbow – although being able to strum a chord or two probably won't hurt.