Chinese Beijing Opera Drum

A flat dark disc with a studded edge and the patience of a drum.

This Beijing opera drum is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood, leather & metal. Chinese drums are generally made with a wooden shell and a stretched skin head, and pitch and tone vary with the drum's size and the tension of the skin. A wide, low round form with a nearly flat top and a straight rim. A band of small raised bumps circles the lower edge, and the surface is dull and uneven, with worn pale patches near the center. It is 3 inches high and 9.5 in diameter.

Quiet by appearance, and heavy on presence.