Cameroon (Bamenda, northwestern  Cameroon)
Cameroonian

Iron, plant fiber, wood, cloth rope
Mid 20th century
Height: 12 inches
Idiophone – Struck Directly  – Metal Bells

A forged double bell (sometimes called a gong) used for music and found throughout West Africa.  The bell’s timbre is varied by letting it ring freely or by damping it against the chest.  These handheld clapper-less bells are played with a wooden stick and are connected by an arched handle that is wrapped with plant fibers, a characteristic of central Africa, especially Cameroon.   Since the bells are of varied sizes, they produce two pitches.

African bells that are used for music,  articulate many complex rhythmic patterns common in African music.