CEMBALO. — From the Greek χόμβαλον, Latin cymbalum. A very ancient instrument, probably of Oriental origin, consisting of two round, flat or convex metal plates that are struck against each other; or else of a kind of tambourine with a single head, with or without jingles, struck by the player’s hand.
The cymbalistae held them by means of handles or ribbons and used them especially to accompany dancing, rhythmic movements, or choral accents. It may have been used in the Hebrew liturgy; by the fifth century it was certainly part of the Greek liturgy, as attested by a fragment of Pindar and several bronze specimens. Later it perhaps took on a symbolic meaning in rites and mysteries, and its depiction became a frequent decorative element in mural painting.