Meinl has made this "traditional" style shaker from woven rattan. The color is a bit whiter than in the picture. It's about 8" long and fits perfectly in the hand for easy shaking. It has clear plstic beads inside that give a crunchy rattle like sound. There are coconut discs at both ends that add a crispier punch. The sound is rather crunchy/crackly and not warm like sand filled shakers. (That may also be due to the rattan body)pros~-light weight-traditional feel and materials-nice looking piece to displaycons~-expensive at $20-shaker is fragile because of the materials used (woven rattan)-meinl sticker on ends is taped and not painted on (seems cheap)I will keep this shaker but will be using my tambourine more because this is a delicate item ;)