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<em>Damaru</em> drums are made from the tops of two skulls joined in the center and sounded by rapidly turning it side to side so the ends of the cords fly up to sound against the stretched skin. In Hindu and Buddhist rituals, the rhythm of the damaru references the ongoing, relentless beat of time. The material of bone reminds practitioners of the inevitability of death in the course of time.
Page data
- Page
- 1
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- c395324e2874a187
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 98700
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "98700",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Ritual Drum (damaru)",
"description": "<em>Damaru</em> drums are made from the tops of two skulls joined in the center and sounded by rapidly turning it side to side so the ends of the cords fly up to sound against the stretched skin. In Hindu and Buddhist rituals, the rhythm of the damaru references the ongoing, relentless beat of time. The material of bone reminds practitioners of the inevitability of death in the course of time.",
"date": "c. 1800",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1918.391",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q79485400"
],
"genreSpecific": [
"Musical Instrument"
],
"iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 20.4 x 17.8 x 13.1 cm (8 1/16 x 7 x 5 3/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"Tibet"
],
"accession": "1918.391"
}
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Document identity
{
"localId": "98700",
"label": "Ritual Drum (damaru)",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "98700",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Ritual Drum (damaru)",
"description": "<em>Damaru</em> drums are made from the tops of two skulls joined in the center and sounded by rapidly turning it side to side so the ends of the cords fly up to sound against the stretched skin. In Hindu and Buddhist rituals, the rhythm of the damaru references the ongoing, relentless beat of time. The material of bone reminds practitioners of the inevitability of death in the course of time.",
"date": "c. 1800",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1918.391",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q79485400"
],
"genreSpecific": [
"Musical Instrument"
],
"iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 20.4 x 17.8 x 13.1 cm (8 1/16 x 7 x 5 3/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"Tibet"
],
"accession": "1918.391"
}
Document source extras
{
"tec": "skull bone, cloth, hemp fiber, leather, and skin",
"tombstone": "Ritual Drum (damaru), c. 1800. Tibet. Skull bone, cloth, hemp fiber, leather, and skin; overall: 20.4 x 17.8 x 13.1 cm (8 1/16 x 7 x 5 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr., 1918.391",
"collection": "Tibetan Art",
"didYouKnow": "Dancing Shiva, in his form as Nataraja, holds a <em>damaru</em> in one hand.",
"citations": [
{
"citation": "\"Accessions.\" <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 5, no. 8/9 (1918): 82-85.",
"page_number": "Mentioned: p. 82",
"url": "http://www.jstor.org/stable/25136230"
},
{
"citation": "D. S. M. \"Exhibition of Musical Instruments.\" <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 8, no. 9 (1921): 134-43.",
"page_number": "Mentioned: pp. 134-137",
"url": "http://www.jstor.org/stable/25136517"
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1918.391",
"creditline": "The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr.",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-29 05:19:58.660000",
"imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1918.391/1918.391_print.jpg",
"sourceId": 98700,
"dept": "Indian and Southeast Asian Art",
"coll": "Tibetan Art",
"med": "skull bone, cloth, hemp fiber, leather, and skin",
"thumbnail_url": null,
"image_url": null
}
Page context
{
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