Southeast Asia, Burma (Myanmar), ca. An impressive bronze drum known as a "Karen Rain Drum" with dense decorations and rich iconography with zoomorphic forms. The outstanding instrument features a circular tympanum engraved with repeating registers of stylized fish, birds, and geometric patterns, and a star / sunburst at the center. Along the seam on the body are protruding elephants and mating frogs on the tympanum. The drum creates a pleasant sound when the tympanum is lightly tapped and must have been impressive when struck with a mallet- this piece would be a beautiful table with the addition of a glass top! Size: 23" Diameter x 18" H (58.4 cm x 45.7 cm)

Drums like this example are sometimes referred to as frog drums (as frogs are oftentimes associated with rain) and have been used in Southeast Asian cultural rituals for hundreds of years. In particular, the Karen people of Thailand and Burma (modern day Myanmar) 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 Karen Rain Drum. Such bronze drum forms originated with the Bronze Age Dong Son culture of ancient northern Vietnam during the later period of the Hong Bang Dynasty. Today these drums are highly valued by the Karen people of Thailand and Burma (modern day Myanmar). 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.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Mark Spiegel estate, Park Avenue, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s

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#175700

Restoration and repairs to tympanum, body and base rim, over 95% original material. Some softening to etched motifs and surface abrasions and indentations commensurate with age, exposure to elements, and use. Heavy patina and mineral deposits throughout.