Tongue drum

Courtesy of the Werner-Forman Archive

Wooden Aztec tongue drum - 'teponaztli' - that produced two different tones using a wooden beater with rubber tip; the two tongues cut into the top of the drum are just visible: one was made thinner than the other (though the same length). The owl carved deliberately in the middle of the instrument represented a creature that could carry messages between humans and gods. 19 inches long, British Museum, London.