Heger II type rain drum. South China or Vietnam, 8th-12th centuries.

Heger II type rain drum. South China or Vietnam, 8th-12th centuries.
In bronze with brown and green patina.
Measurements: 38,5 x 59,6 cm.

Heger II type rain drum in bronze with brown and green patina. The upper plate is decorated with friezes surrounding a seven-pointed sun and four frogs in round bulge along the rim.

Rain drums were invented by the Dong Son culture and produced from around 600 B.C. to the third century A.D. Examples produced in Vietnam, in addition to locally made works, have been found in southern China and throughout mainland and island Southeast Asia. They are usually struck in the center with a soft mallet and on the sides with a wooden or bamboo stick. Among the Vietnamese ethnic groups, they are still used in some rituals, such as those of the Hung kings, but are rarely used as a musical instrument.