Southeast Asia. The heavy, round drum with a waisted base, the top and side finely cast in relief with concentric bands of decoration, the top with a star symbol in the center and groups of stylized frogs applied at the rim, the sides with pairs of loop handles.Provenance: French private collection. Condition: Good condition with minor dents, losses and bruises, some warping, natural malachite-green and copper-red encrustations, all commensurate with age and size.Weight: 14.6 kgDimensions: Height 47.5 cm, Diameter 61.5This bronze rain drum is based on the drums created by the Dong Son culture in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. These drums were produced from about 600 BC or earlier until the third century AD and are one of the culture's most astounding examples of metalworking. The discovery of Dong Son drums in New Guinea is seen as proof of trade connections – spanning at least the past thousand years – between this region and the technologically advanced societies of Java and China.Bronze drums are still being used ceremoniously in Southeast Asia by the Yi people, Zhuang people, Miao people and Qabiao people in northern Vietnam and southern China. They are generally struck in the center with a soft mallet, and on the side with a wood or bamboo stick. Among the ethnic Vietnamese, they are still used in some rituals, such as those to the Hung kings, but are rarely used as a musical instrument anymore. In Thailand, the Dong Son drum is also used in some ceremonies, where it is called the Mahorathuek.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related bronze rain drum at Christie's New York in The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Part V - European Decorative Arts, Carpets, Old Master Paintings and Asian Works of Art on 21 March 2015, lot 1011, sold for USD 32,500.