Images from The Beede Gallery Drum, Batak People, Sumatra, Indonesia, mid-19th century Click on images below to see larger images NMM 2332. Drum, Batak people, Sumatra, Indonesia, mid-19th century. Conical, wooden drum with original, lizard-skin head attached with rattan laces. Head covered with small dark drops of dried beeswax or resin, applied while tuning the drum. Splayed end carved and painted to resemble a brass cannon. The tradition of casting brass and bronze cannons in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia began with the Dutch and Portuguese colonists. These cannons usually served ceremonial functions and were eventually used as a form of currency for trading purposes. Cannons were also considered status symbols for many smaller Indonesian villages. Length: 87 cm (34-1/4"). Board of Trustees, 1977. Construction Details Drops of Beeswax or Resin on Drum Head Rattan Lacing Splayed Lower End   Click arrow to continue Beede Gallery Tour Go to Beede Gallery Tour Index Go to Virtual Gallery Tour Index Go to Annotated Checklist of Musical Instruments From Oceania on Display at the NMM National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD   57069 ©National Music Museum, 2008 Most recent update:   August 28, 2008 You are the 374th visitor to this page since August 28, 2008. The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page