Small Shoulder Drum (Kotsuzumi) with Hydrangeas for Noh Performance

In Japan, small hand drums called kotsuzumi, and the slightly larger ōtsuzumi, were played at temple dedications, for sarugaku and shirabyōshi dances of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), and formed an important part of the musical accompaniment for the Noh and later the Kabuki theatre. Examples of double-headed, waisted drums were also used in popular entertainments until the end of the Edo period (1615–1868). The hourglass shape that characterizes this piece and other examples of tsuzumi reflects the manner of its use; the drum was held over the left shoulder, and the horsehide traditionally lashed to the core, to cover each cup-shaped drum head, would be struck with the palm of the right hand. The wooden body of this drum core was covered with layers of black lacquer upon which the flat maki-e (sprinkled gold) design was applied. Some of the lines were left in black reserve, while others were executed in gold hiramaki-e. The hydrangea, a symbol of early summer, was an appropriate design for drum bodies, as the changing colors of its petals also represented a quality valued in music.