A bala can add a soft buzz with spider silk — ChillScroll

A wooden bala with gourd resonators and small pale membranes below its keys

A bala can add a soft buzz with spider silk

Each wooden key on a Mandé bala sits above a gourd that makes its note louder. A thin patch of silk from a spider egg sac can cover a small hole in the gourd and vibrate, adding a gentle buzz.

The wooden note arrives with a tiny shimmer around its edges.

Source · The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗