Almeida Fortress: Chinese Pavilion, Chinese Hat, Sistrum, Bell Tree

(Text kindly provided by Joaquim Guedes)

It is a percussion instrument with an indefinite pitch, of Oriental origin, used in certain military bands. It arrived in Europe through the wars between the Turks and the Austrians in the 17th century.

The instrument consists of a support approximately 1.80 metres tall, with a wooden shaft at its base, topped with various ornaments made of brass or copper, including lyres, crescents (half-moons), pendants, leaves, stylised animals and other symbolic motifs. Above these are one or two conical metal bells or canopies, fitted with numerous small bells or jingles suspended from them. At the top, various decorative elements may be found, such as a weighted sphere (to intensify the sound of the bells), a lyre, a crescent (half-moon), stars, an eagle, among other motifs.

Below the canopy, there may be a pair of crescents or lyres, also fitted with hanging bells or jingles.

The Chinese Pavilion, held vertically, is played by shaking it or moving the wooden shaft up and down, producing the sound of the various small bells or jingles suspended from it.

This Chinese hat may be richly decorated with colourful ribbons and/or horsehair hanging from the shaft. Handling it requires considerable physical strength, as this standard may weigh up to 10 kilograms.

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