Damaru

Museum number:
9-22066
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21090022066
Alternate number:
BY.T-158 and T-158 (original number)
Description:
This is a damaru, a small hand-held drum used in ritual and meditation practices. It is held in the right hand and the wrist is rotated back and forth so that the turquoise strikers rapidly beat the two drum skins. At the same time, the ritual bell (ghanta) is often rung by the left hand. The most typical use of these is as a musical offering to whichever deities are being addressed in the ritual. See also T-159.
Collection place:
Tibet
Verbatim coll. place:
Tibet
Collector:
Theos C. Bernard
Materials:
Skin (collagenous material), Turquoise (mineral), and Wood (plant material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Damarus
Function:
5.4 Secular and Religious Musical Instruments
Production date:
19th century
Department:
Asia (except western Russia)
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 2 titled Damaru, accession number 9-22066, described as This is a damaru, a small hand-held drum used in ritual and meditation practices. It is held in the right hand and the wrist is rotated back and forth so that the turquoise strikers rapidly beat the two drum skins. At the same time, the ritual bell (ghanta) is often rung by the left hand. The most typical use of these is as a musical offering to whichever deities are being addressed in the ritual. See also T-159.Hearst Museum object 2 of 2 titled Damaru, accession number 9-22066, described as This is a damaru, a small hand-held drum used in ritual and meditation practices. It is held in the right hand and the wrist is rotated back and forth so that the turquoise strikers rapidly beat the two drum skins. At the same time, the ritual bell (ghanta) is often rung by the left hand. The most typical use of these is as a musical offering to whichever deities are being addressed in the ritual. See also T-159.

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