This style is very similar to: * Traditional slapsticks used in theater and music. * Folk dance clappers from parts of Europe and Latin America. * Handmade school or community rhythm instruments from the early to mid-1900s. One other possibility is that it was made as a bird-scaring clapper or field noisemaker, since the design is robust and produces a loud crack. Age Based on the leather, wood oxidation, and construction methods, I would estimate: * Circa 1930–1960 for a handmade American or European folk piece. * It could be older, but I do not see features that would confidently place it in the 19th century.
