These are four very well played peg tops my wife brought me back from Uruguay. They are narrower than other tops I have from that country. She bought them from two different street vendors selling at the edge of the traditional black neighborhood in Montevideo, so they may be more typical of that part of town. Their shape is reminiscent of drums used in the Candombe music that originated there.
Wonderful tops, ta0! Maybe we should call them "Candombes" after the cool drum connection.
I know Jeremy must be pulling his hair at the aspect ratio of these tops
But I'm an equal-opportunity top maker! All aspect ratios are beautiful. Just depends on...
1. How you want the top you're designing to
look?
2. What you want it to
do, and how well?
3. Which has priority -- form or function?
So what were the Candombe top makers after? Given the battle scars, have to wonder if a particular battle style drove the high aspect ratios -- one valuing fast precession over long spin time or quiet sleep.
Then again, the tops could have been designed to "dance" to Candombe music in some sense.