This steel tongue drum is about 14 cm across, printed with an old world map and a small Om sign in the centre. Each tongue cut into the metal gives a different note. It weighs about 0.78 kg and was made in India.
The same map on a slightly bigger drum
The design matches the 13 cm Atlas drum: an old, yellowish map with continents and small lettered place names, written in English in an old-fashioned hand. This version is about 1 cm wider and a little heavier. If you can't decide between the two, the larger surface shows more of the map's detail.
Mallets and fingers
A rubber-tipped mallet gives a stronger sound, your fingers a softer, quieter one. Either way, strike the end of the tongue briefly and let it bounce back. Near the base the sound is duller. If the mallet stays on the tongue, the note dies.
As a beginner, try two neighbouring tongues in turn, then three. After a few minutes you will know which notes sound good one after another.
The sound builds up inside the hollow body and comes out through the opening underneath. If you play it in your lap, leave that opening clear, or the sound will be duller.
A present for someone who loves to travel
For someone who travels a lot or collects old maps, this drum makes a personal present. Three rubber feet underneath keep it steady on a table or a chest of drawers between sessions.
Dust it with a soft, dry cloth, store it somewhere dry and don't strike it with metal objects.