Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Dong Son, ca. 500 BCE to 300 CE. A rare miniature bronze drum known as a rain drum or Dong Son drum. Cast via the lost wax method, this piece is incredibly important to southeastern cultures for calling to worship, venerate their deities, and for funerary and ceremonial rituals. The drum has a star that radiates from the center of the head or tympanum face that is surrounded by concentric bands of linear and circular patterns. Under the rim is a pair of handles on both sides for suspension. The cylindrical body is supported by a slightly flared foot, with an opening that leads into the hollow interior. The body is decorated with vertical and encircling registers of linear motifs. While these drums could be massive, these miniature pieces were made for burial in tombs- and the rich patina and mineral deposits across the surface suggest that was the case with this piece! Size: 9" Diameter x 7.75" H (22.9 cm x 19.7 cm)

Drums like this example are sometimes referred to as rain drums and originated with the Bronze Age Dong Son culture of ancient northern Vietnam during the later period of the Hong Bang Dynasty but their use spread throughout Southeast Asian cultures such as the Karen people of Thailand and Burma (modern day Myanmar) as well as Laos, Indonesia, and southern China. The Karen people have used such drums in funerary rituals to assist the deceased as they journey to the afterlife and in ceremonies to inspire spirits to bring about rainfall, hence the name rain drum. The strap handles would have suspended the drum from a frame or tree limb with the tympanum facing horizontally outward at a 45-degree angle, and a padded mallet was used to strike the drum. In the ancient Dong Son culture the drums were not only designed to make sound, but were also venerated art and even worshipped themselves in honor of the deity Than Dong Co, the bronze drum god who protects against foreign invasions!

Provenance: Whisnant Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA acquired prior to 2000

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#169791

Loss and chips to the entire leg rim as shown and 2 pieces are reattached with adhesive and visible break line. Losses do not affect stability. Heavy mineral and earthen encrustations throughout, and remains of plant roots on exterior. Green patina and great preservation to drum head.