Both in China and in Korea, where the oldest chime goes back to the 14th century, the lithophone is a Confucian ritual instrument. |
But in China the fangxiang, with its 16 bars, is a metal imitation of the lithophone. |
A lithophone was built by an English stonemason in 1840 and enjoyed a brief concert life under the name rock harmonicon. |
When struck, the lithophone emits a pure tone, like a bar on a xylophone. |