05-Cochiti Pueblo Painted Historic Hide 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.

This drum is smaller than those used in many pueblo ceremonial dances.  It is painted blood red with white at the edges of the drum heads.  Black lines separate the white from the painted body.

Normally, pueblo drums are made from cottonwood trunks but this one is made from a long strip of saddle leather that has been rolled and secured with rawhide.  The heads were painted black originally.

Condition: There is no damage to the drum; however some of the black paint on the heads has worn off due to use.

Provenance: From the Dana Lipsig Scarpitta collection.