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Mendzan

This instrument was collected by Fred Merfield, who was based in Cameroon's East Region. It is a gourd-resonated, portable xylophone set of nine wooden keys, suspended and attached to a wooden frame with twine cord and cloth. The frame is constituted by two longitudinal bars that hold the keys, a U-shaped handle, and a bottom rectangular frame that keeps the gourds together. Each key has a respective, graded-size gourd resonator underneath, which have a circular opening to receive mirliton membrane. In addition to the wooden handle, there is a cord strap, and two thick wooden beaters are attached to the bottom frame.

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  • Decorative elements:Fringe made of soft vegetable fibers (banana leaf?) attached to frame.
  • Inscriptions:
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:111.212 Sets of percussion sticks
  • Repository:Powell-Cotton Museum
  • Measurements:Length: 900mm; Width (at gourds): 760mm; Height: 270mm; Beaters length(s): 320mm and 300mm