Cantonese Opera Drum Item Number: N1.830 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Single skin or half drum (shagu or shade), bell shaped. Skin stretched over hole at centre top (approx. 3 cm), and the whole wooden form. Held in place by double row of hand wrought nails and iron rim. Characters, orange, green, and white, on skin. Black characters on base.

History Of Use

In Cantonese opera, primary percussion instruments accompany the melodic instruments and include woodblocks (bangzi, buyu, duk, dik), luo (gongs), bo (cymbals), and gu (drums) made of wood and pig hide. Percussion instruments play functions to accompany movements, speech, and song, suggest moods or emotions and used to create special sound effects, such as thunder or the sound of galloping horses.

Item History

What

Name
Cantonese Opera Drum
Identification Number
N1.830
Type of Item
drum
Material
wood, skin, iron metal and paint
Manufacturing Technique
carved, hollowed, wrought, stretched and nailed
Overall
height 10.5 cm, diameter 17.0 cm

Who

Culture
Chinese
Previous Owner
Jin Wah Sing Musical Association
Received from
Barrett Montford Endowment Fund (Funding source), Jin Wah Sing Musical Association (Seller), Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source), Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source), Mah Society of North America (Funding source), Canada-China Friendship Association (Funding source), Quon H. Wong Agencies (Funding source) and Edith Low-Beer (Funding source)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
China

When

Collection Date
between 1900 and 1940
Ownership Date
before August 28, 1973
Acquisition Date
on August 28, 1973

Other

Condition
fair
Accession Number
0248/0215