Happy Drum Multi Coloured - 17 × 13 cm

• The sound comes from the slim tongues cut into the top of the metal. Each one rings with its own pitch, and the tone carries softly through the room.
• The surface is a grid of square panels, each holding a different mandala or flower in turquoise, orange, pink, yellow and violet. It looks as lively on a shelf as it does in your lap.
• A small Om symbol sits at the centre, where the tongues radiate outward like the spokes of a wheel, so your eye has a place to rest while you play.
• It comes with two wooden mallets with rounded black rubber heads, so you can begin the moment you unpack it.
• The glossy printed finish catches the light and gives the colours real depth.

A tongue drum is not quite a handpan, though the two are often confused. A handpan is a convex, hand-struck instrument. This is a tongue drum: a metal body with tongues cut into its surface, played with soft mallets. Each tongue is cut to vibrate at a particular pitch, and the hollow body gives that vibration its warmth and its slow fade. Instruments of this kind are usually tuned so the notes sit comfortably together, which is why many people find there are no wrong notes to hit. Strike them in any order and the sounds tend to blend rather than clash.

The body is made of iron, finished with a vivid, glossy print. Mandalas are a long-standing form of sacred geometry, circular patterns built outward from a centre, and they are often used as a focus for attention. Here that idea is repeated square after square, with the Om at the heart. In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Om is regarded as a primal sound, which makes it a fitting mark for an instrument played slowly and attentively.

Rest the drum on your lap or on a soft surface, so the underside can resonate freely. Hold a mallet in each hand and strike a tongue with a light, relaxed motion, letting the mallet bounce away so the note can ring. Try slow, single notes first, then alternate between two or three. Many people play it in short, quiet sessions: a few unhurried minutes at the end of a day, or the start of a meditation sitting.

It suits a reading corner, a yoga space, a child's room, or a quiet spot by a window. Because it is easy to pick up and play, it also works well for sharing: hand a mallet to a friend and let the two of you improvise together.

The drum measures 17 × 13 cm, small enough to sit comfortably on your knees. It is made of iron and finished in multi-coloured print. It is supplied with two mallets.

It is a good present for anyone who likes bright colour, enjoys music without wanting lessons, or keeps a calm corner at home. It makes a lively and unusual gift for a birthday or a housewarming.