Burmese Rain Drum Cast Bronze Coffee Drink Table Intricate Relief Detail, 1900s

Description

Hollow bronze drum, tapering downwards, with handles on each side. Drums were made by the Karen people--A Sino-Tibetan ethnic group … more Hollow bronze drum, tapering downwards, with handles on each side. Drums were made by the Karen people--A Sino-Tibetan ethnic group inhabiting the high lands between Myanmar(formerly Burma) and Thailand. Top, or tympanum, has star center, concentric rings, four sets of bronze double frogs and tapered sides with graduating bronze elephants. Wonderful old patina. Rain drums are named as such because of the sound they make when struck with rain from the many monsoons that occur in southeast Asia. Today, artisans and musicians from various cultures continue to draw inspiration from the traditional craftmanship of rain drums. less