22-Historic Cochiti Pueblo Painted Hand Held Drum [SOLD]

Painted and unpainted drums of all sizes are used in pueblo ceremonies. The drum suggests the thunder that comes with rain. The drum has two heads. Pueblo songs are written to start slowly and then go to a climax. At a certain point of the song, the drum is flipped over to achieve a higher beat. This lifts the dancers and gives them the impetus to continue dancing.

The body of the drum was originally painted in alternating colors of blue and yellow with the edges under the drumheads left unpainted.  Much of the blue and yellow paints have worn off, a good indication of significant age.

Condition: The heads of the drum were painted black and are still in very good condition with little wear associated with use.  There is no damage to the drum. 

Provenance: From the Dana Lipsig Scarpitta collection.