apparently, a Suikinkutsu is a Japanese garden ornament that serves as a music device as well. amazing, really! at a glance, it looks just like a fountain that we typically see in gardens, where water coming from a bamboo trickles continuously onto a small pond. but upclose, you'll hear a pleasant sound/music coming from below.
this is how it works. beneath the small pond, lies an earthenware jar buried upside-down with a small hole at the top. as the water drips through the hole onto the pool of water inside the jar, it creates a splashing sound that reverberates inside the jar echoing a pleasant and mild sound similar to that of the bell (ding, ding). see diagram below.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Suikinkutsu_CrossSection.jpg
Suikinkutsu is believed to have evolved from the vessel that was buried upside down next to the washing basin in Japanese gardens to act as a drainage system.
CD recordings of Suikinkutsu sound are available in the market nowadays. Some musicians even include the Suikinkutsu sound in their concerts.
Ingenious!
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