Miniature Drum with Four Frogs

Miniature Drum with Four Frogs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ranging in height from a few inches to over six feet, up to four feet in diameter, and often of considerable weight, drums are the most widely dispersed products of the Dongson culture of northern Vietnam. Examples produced in Vietnam, in addition to works made locally, have been found in south China and throughout mainland and island Southeast Asia. The function of these drums, often found in burials, remains unclear. They may have been used in warfare, as political regalia, or as part of funerary and other ceremonial rites.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Miniature Drum with Four FrogsMiniature Drum with Four FrogsMiniature Drum with Four FrogsMiniature Drum with Four FrogsMiniature Drum with Four Frogs

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.