Rare Instrument Rituel Khmer Cambodgien En Bronze, Tambour-hochet,

A highly unusual Khmer Cambodian ritual percussion instrument, cast entirely in bronze and measuring 46 cm in height.

The instrument has a long, ornamented handle supporting a circular bronze body surmounted by a lotus-form finial. Both faces are solid bronze, each with a symmetrical openwork aperture formed by opposing scrolls. A small loop on either side of the body would originally have supported a short chain or cord terminating in a striker. When the handle was rotated between the hands, the two suspended strikers would alternately strike the bronze body, producing a resonant sound.

This is not a conventional drum and has no membranes. It is more accurately understood as a rotating bronze idiophone or ritual percussion instrument.

Khmer frame rattle drums employing the same method of rotation and two suspended strikers are recorded in Cambodian archaeological and museum collections. Examples are discussed and illustrated by the specialist research project Sounds of Angkor, including instruments in the Musée Guimet, the Vat Reach Bo Archaeological Museum in Siem Reap and the National Museum in Bangkok:

https://www.soundsofangkor.org/english/ancient-music/drum-rattle/

Having been unable to find a genuinely comparable example made entirely in bronze, despite an extensive search of museum collections, auction archives and internet resources, I shall err on the side of caution and describe this piece as 20th century. However, judging from its casting, surface, patina and known provenance, I believe that it has every chance of being an original Khmer artefact of considerably greater age—and a very rare one at that.

The two original cords or chains and their strikers are no longer present.

It is accompanied by a bespoke metal display stand, specially made for the collector who formerly owned the piece.

Height: 46 cm.

Good condition.

SOLD WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

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