Bronze Drums

Sichuan Provincial Museum, Chengdu

Bronze drums apparently originated some time before the Warring States period, with the minority peoples who lived in a region straddling the present border of North Vietnam and South China. They soon spread throughout southern China (Yunnan minorities) and southeast Asia (Dong Son). The age or original location of the examples shown here could not be determined at the time of our visit. Some standard decorations - a central sun, surrounded by concentric circles, frogs, and radial lines - are visible in the photos. Other decorations that may be generally found on bronze drums include cloud patterns, other animals, and geometric designs. Clouds and frogs are associated with water, in the form of rainfall, ponds, etc.

Originally, bronze drums were used in religious ceremonies, perhaps related to the weather. They were also markers of wealth, status, and political legitimacy, not unlike the bronze bells and vessels of early central China. Their manufacture continued into later times, when they gradually lost these early associations and came to be used simply as musical instruments.

See also: an example from the Warring States Period in the Yunnan Provincial Museum.