The dulcian (also called bajón or curtal) was developed in the mid-16th century as an attempt to make a portable and flexible double reed instrument in the bass range. Its bore is drilled so that it folds back on itself inside a single piece of wood, making the instrument compact while maintaining its full acoustic length (while the equivalent shawm size needs to be 6 feet long to achieve the same range). The result is a soft, sweet tone with greater dynamic flexibility than the shawm.
The dulcian was built in multiple sizes, but the bass was the most common, as its main role was to provide the bass foundation for 16th century reed and brass ensembles. It later became an important solo and basso continuo instrument. It remained in use into the early 18th century before being replaced by the bassoon.
