These odd instruments are called Boat Bells. They're made of iron I think, and are welded to a bar with a loop, for hanging on your boat I guess. There are crude lines of paint, as if he handed them to his kids after they cooled down. They were made by one Joe "Papo" Daddiego, under the name of Jopa. To me they look like a pair of sea slugs. With such irregular edges and turned-in sides, I'd think these would sound a bit dull, with short sustain, but the opposite is true. They have a nice, mellow BONG sound and they ring for a full minute or more. They're sort of a suspended/minor-ish third apart. I know these are rare because this is the only set I've ever seen. I got them on eBay years ago. I met a percussionist online who studied with Papo and had a pair of these, and they were stolen along with bits of his gear after a gig, and he told me he cried when he realized they were gone, and I can understand. They're that cool, and they can't be replaced, as Papo is sadly no longer with us. Jopa instruments were made mainly during the 70s, and not many people remember them, or know how great they sound. Basically they're too rare to be collectible. That's okay. They're beautiful and unique and I'm lucky to own them.
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