the bones, rhythm bones, struck idiophone

A cow rib bone used for tapping.

The two bones are held between the fingers of one hand and hang down towards the palm of the hand, and are made to tap against each other with wrist movements. Clappers, made from a variety of materials and not only of bone, are used as percussion instruments in many parts of the world and have a long history. The widespread use of bones as a percussion instrument in many cultures is not surprising as they are such an obvious 'ready-made' instrument. In Ireland, England, Scotland and North America today, they are used as rhythm accompaniment to traditional folk music bands (fiddle, banjo, accordion, and so on). Also, particularly in the USA, they are used as a novelty instrument with dance in Minstrel Shows of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
HC.1999.1599.1
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 195 x 30 x 20 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
bone (cow ribs)
CATEGORY
Education Handling Collection: Musical Instruments
LOCATION
In storage
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Collection Information

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