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| Keywords: Tibetan - Hand Drum - Walters 73144.jpg Sound is essential for Tibetan liturgy and ritual and the damaru is one important source Held by the right hand it symbolizes the means compassion while the bell in the left hand symbolizes wisdom The drum is therefore male and the bell female The two faces of the damaru also continue this sexual symbology for they are formed with the skulls of adolescent males and females and as Beer writes sounding together in sexual union symbolizes the union of relative and absolute bodhichitta mind of enlightenment Beer 1999 pp 258 The drum is also sounded to chase away malefactors as well as to summon the helpful spirits to participate in rituals and feasts It should be noted that the drum is an important implement in shamanistic rites as well This particular example has all of its various elements intact The sides of the faces are enlivened with graphically painted heads and skulls while the long impressive valance of five-colored silks with its side tassels adds a festive touch century 18 mixed media cm 97 16 16 19 accession number 73 144 34466 John and Berthe Ford Baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum John Berthe Ford 2002 Desire and Devotion Art from India Nepal and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection The Walters Art Museum Baltimore; Birmingham Museum of Art Birmingham; Santa Barbara Museum of Art Santa Barbara; Albuquerque Museum Albuquerque 2001-2003 place of origin Tibet Walters Art Museum license Tibetan art in the Walters Art Museum Art of Tibet Damaru | ||||
