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Damaru

19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199
Tibetan Budhist monks and shamans use this type of drum to interrupt phrases of recitation when it is necessary to summon certain deities. A pelting sound is produced when the drum is rotated back and forth in the right hand as the attached cloth beads strike the drum. Scenes from the life of Milarepa (1052-1135), Tibet's greatest poet, yogi, and saint, decorate the sides of the drum.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Damaru
  • Date: 19th century
  • Geography: Tibet
  • Culture: Tibetan
  • Medium: Wood, skin, cloth, shell
  • Dimensions: D. 4 3/4 × Diam. 8 11/16 in. (12.1 × 22 cm), plus textile streamer

    Weight: under 40 lbs
  • Classification: Membranophone-double-headed / waisted drum
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1980
  • Object Number: 1980.354a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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Damaru, Shells sewn on wood, skin, cloth, shell, horn, Tibetan
Damaru
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Rebecchino, Boxwood, rosewood, ebony, Italian
Rebecchino
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Sword and Scabbard, Iron, copper alloy, wood, ray skin, leather, turquoise, coral, glass, Eastern Tibetan
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Damaru, Skull, cloth, wax, Tibetan
Damaru
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