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Frame drum; tambourine

Tambourine. The laminated wooden shell is constructed from three concentric strips of wood and is pierced by a circular thumb hole bushed with ivory. The inside of the shell is painted with strawberry plants on a light green ground while the outside is painted with roses on a dark green ground. There are six rectangular holes in the shell for small jingles, which are centrally mounted in pairs on metal pins. The jingles have a cymbal-like profile with a domed central section. Only two pairs now remain. Formerly there were five pellet bells attached to metal rings on the inside of the frame, although four are now absent. The narrow, translucent vellum membrane has been scratched by the player's nails, and has dark lines made by the player's thumb. The head is secured by a metal hoop, which is painted green/blue with two interweaving gold lines. It is attached to the shell by seven metal hooks, which extend through the shell and terminate in recessed screw heads at the lower rim. The maker's name is painted on the inside of the shell: 'DALE’S PATENT' with the royal arms at the top, and to the left of this 'DALE/No. 19 Cornhill/& the corner of/HOLLES Street/Oxford Street/LONDONI/Fecit' within a wreath.

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  • Materials:paint, iron, copper alloy, ivory, hide, wood
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  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:211.31 Frame drums without handle
  • Repository:Horniman Museum and Gardens