Collection record · Objects & craft
Ritual Drum (damaru)
The collection record classifies this work as musical instrument. It is dated c. 1800. Recorded culture or place: Tibet.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Ritual Drum (damaru)
- Date
- c. 1800
- Culture / origin
- Tibet
- Materials and technique
- skull bone, cloth, hemp fiber, leather, and skin
- Dimensions
- Overall: 20.4 x 17.8 x 13.1 cm (8 1/16 x 7 x 5 3/16 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1918.391
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
Damaru drums are made from the tops of two skulls joined in the center and sounded by rapidly turning it side to side so the ends of the cords fly up to sound against the stretched skin. In Hindu and Buddhist rituals, the rhythm of the damaru references the ongoing, relentless beat of time. The material of bone reminds practitioners of the inevitability of death in the course of time.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr. · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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