Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)

KARDOS Tatjána: Bronzdob a Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum gyűjteményében

According to this kind of classification it becomes clear that two types of drums (the Heger III and IV types), which are still in use, were developed up to the eighth and tenth centuries respectively. Based on the above mentioned characteristic features, the drum in the collection of our museum belongs to the Machiang (Majiang) type according to the Chinese classification."

1 Dr. Franz Heger first studied the history of Southeast Asian bronze drums, based on drums to be found in European collections in 1902.

6 The first time authentic pieces were found in excavations properly conducted by specialists was in the 1920s and 1930s.

7 Numerous theories tried to explain the use of these drums interpreting their characteristic decorations (boat with paddling feathered men /ill. no.

5./; dancers dressed in feathers with feathered head-dress; aquatic birds; people engaged in different occupations around houses /ill. No. 6./).

8 A number of theories dealt with the origin of this bronze-using civilization.

4 The age of this culture is still under discussion. The conclusion was clear, that every Heger I type drum found in Malaysia and Indonesia, on the island of Bali, in Thailand and Laos belongs to the same bronze casting civilization called Dong-sonian, with Northern Vietnam in the centre. It is quite understandable that the great number of studies analysing bronze drums almost exclusively deal with the earliest and most decorative Heger I type drums. The picture of the bronze casting civilizations of Southeast Asia underwent significant changes with the excavations held in Yunnan province, in the south of China, from 1952 to 1980. A considerable quality of daily used utensils and luxury articles, mostly made of bronze, were found on ten sites here, with bronze drums and kaori-containers in form of drums amongst them.

10 These findings indicated new questions abourt the contacts and influences of the bronze casting centres." It is still unexplained what the role and the function of the bronze drum was in the life of these bronze casting civilizations. According to the Chinese sources they were musical instruments of eastern and southern barbarians.

12 The first references to the bronze drums were in connection with Ma Yuan 's (1st century B. C?) campaign to Northern Vietnam and with the battles of Chu-ko Liang (3rd century A. D.) in Sichuan.

11 There were two kingdoms inhabiting the territories of the archaeological sites up to the 3rd century B. C.

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: the kingdoms of Tien (Dian; Yunnan province) and Yiieh (Yue; Kuanghsi province. Northern Vietnam). The daily life represented in the great numbers of sculptures and on the utensils of different use found in the territory of the kingdom of Tien could help uncover the meaning of the mysterious decorations on the bronze drums.

13 According to these archeological findings the bronze drums at Tien, as in the Yiieh civilization could play a central part in the different ceremonies, but we can only try to guess their exact function.

16 Similar drums were found in the kingdoms of Ch'iong (Qiong, Southeast Sichuan)

17 and Yelang (Yelang, West of Kueichou), next to Tien.'* The flourishing of Heger I type bronze drums ended around the first century A. D. However the casting and the use did not stop; the size of the drums became even bigger, small sculptures started to decorate the tympanum but the meaning of the decorations inherited from old times began to be buried in oblivion. The boat with a paddling, feathered man turned into a semicircular decoration, the row of dancers dressed in feathers changed into a geometrical pattern, and the outlines of the animals and aquatic birds were simplified (ill. no. 7.).

19 This type of drum was cast until the twelve century with more and more simplified decorations.

20 The oldest examples of Heger IV type drums (the type the Ferenc Hopp Museum drum belongs to) can be dated to the tenth century. This type of drum has been passed through a simplification as well, and has even assumed a popular character. This type of