The Chordwainers, based in Tasmania, is a four-piece band whose instruments, created by sculptor Garry Greenwood, are made entirely of leather.
Member Lila Meleisea said each member was attracted to the "stunning" instruments and she was unaware of any other band like it.
She described their sound as whimsical, curious, organic and dynamic, which brought the "pieces of art to life".
As the instruments, which include an ostrich horn, bowhorn and black rose, were not created to a temperate scale, tuning was unique to each piece and the band was free to create a different sound.
"It's very difficult to do covers," she said.
The group was in the country to attend the Association of New Zealand Leather Artisans conference in Christchurch last week and stayed on to perform shows in the South Island.
Two interactive shows were held at the Otago Museum, which included an explanation of the instruments and how they were made.
