korvakupilliset
Korvakupilliset, the Finnish plural of “ear trumpet,” are simple acoustic devices designed to amplify sound for individuals with hearing impairment. The earliest known examples date back to the 16th century, when an Italian scholar named Francesco della Porta described a prototype that used a long wooden tube to increase volume. In the 17th and 18th centuries, ear trumpets evolved through the work of European physicians, such as John Whitehead, who refined the instrument’s shape and added a concave reflector at the entry point to focus auditory waves.
Typical ear trumpets were made from wood, metal, or ivory and featured a conical shape that narrowed
Despite the advent of electronic amplification, ear trumpets have persisted in certain rural communities and among