Quadruple Bell

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments acquired in 1889 the *Quadruple Bell* a captivating wooden idiophone from late 19th-century Gabon. Standing 12 inches tall with ends measuring 2¾ inches in diameter, this shaken rattle features a distinctive quadruple bell design—likely four interconnected chambers carved from a single piece of wood. As an idiophone, it produces sound through its own vibration when shaken, embodying the ingenuity of Gabonese craftsmanship without needing additional strikers or membranes. In Gabonese culture, along Afric...