Conocchie

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Conocchie (plural of conocchia) are traditional percussion instruments from southern Italy. They are rattles made from a wooden staff or distaff, with a built‑in chamber at the top holding seeds. When shaken, the seeds rattle inside. They originated from tools used in spinning and were once tied to fertility rituals. Today, the basic wooden-staff design remains, and many are ornately carved or decorated, continuing to be used in folk music.