A scabellum,
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word from ancient Greek ''krupalon'' or ''krupezon'', is a percussion instrument, a kind of
Clapper used in
ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
.
It is worn like a
sandal
Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can ...
by the right foot, used in antiquity by the
conductor or by the
aulos player to mark the rhythm. A scabellum is composed of two wooden or metallic plates, forming two thick soles connected by a hinge at the back. Two small cymbals were often fixed; it may be considered as an ancestor of the
Hi-hat.
References
See also
Plaque concussion idiophones
Foot percussion
Unpitched percussion instruments
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