Antique Tibetan Damaru Ritual Drum – ca. 1880–1920

Small Tibetan damaru with original leather fittings

Region: Tibet / Himalayas
Date: ca. 1880–1920
Material: wood, animal hide and leather
Dimensions: H 8.2 × W 6.5 cm
Weight: 200 g
Type: double-headed ritual hand drum / damaru

Ritual use

This compact hand drum has a dark wooden body with hide membranes on both sides. In Tibetan Buddhist practice the damaru is turned rapidly in the hand so that suspended weighted beaters strike the two faces, punctuating tantric recitation and ritual performance.

Surviving fittings and condition

Old leather suspension and striking elements remain attached, including one weighted beater. The hide surfaces show heavy age and ritual wear, with central losses or openings to both heads. The leather is dry, cracked and fragmentary in places, retaining an untouched surface.

Catalogue note

A compact Himalayan ritual object whose appeal lies in its honest wear, surviving leather fittings and dark historic patina rather than decorative restoration.

Each object is examined before it is offered: material, casting or carving technique, surface, and signs of age are compared with documented references. You will receive a certificate of authenticity and an official invoice detailing the period, material, and available provenance.

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