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

KARDOS Tatjána: Bronzdob a Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum gyűjteményében

nam - totally converted it. (Groslier. pp. 35-36 and Pirazzoli-t 'Serstevens, p. 86). 15. There is a model of a house among the finds, built on piles with sloping roof and with stairs shaped from a single log, still in use in Southeast Asia. There is a lifelike picture, on a ritual vessel, of some men paddling among fishes and ducks, with feathers in their hair. An ordinarily dressed warrior is standing on the cover of a kaori-container among feathered men, used to decorated bronze drums (ill. no.

8.). The characteristic feathered men can be seen on the resonance case of a bronze drum while sacrificing a buffalo. According to these pictures we cannot avoid the conclusion that this society used priests to conduct different ceremonies. This is why the modelling of expression and the unusual rounded eyes on these figures are so different from the others. The pictures of daily life bear- witness to the importance of agriculture, hunting and cattlebreeding in the life of this society. (Dian, p. 79. ill. no.24.; p. 38. ill. no. 11.; p. 72. ill. no. 16.; and p.43. ill. no.18.; p.41. ill. no.16.; p.38. ill. no.12 and p.39. ill. no.14.). 16. See: Dian, p.42. ill. no. 17. dancers and musicians on the cover of a kaori container. One of the musicians, in the centre, is beating a bronze drum with his hand. In the centre of an other cover of a drumshaped kaori container, probably representing a sacrificial area, three drums may bee seen, one on top of the other. Dian, p.35. and Jiang Ting-yu, p. 296. 17. In Huili, in the southern part of Sichuan province. (Dian. p.35. and Jiang Ting-yu, p.

296.). 18. It was stressed out by some scientists that in the second half of the millenium B. C. in different kingdoms, living in territories of the present Southern China and Northern Vietnam, a whole network of cultural connections and influences were active. These are verified by some Tien bronze ornaments, representing animal combats and containing features originated in the steppe region (Dian. pp. 126, 127 and 129.). It is also possible that these people had benefit from Chinese civilization. Pirazzoli-t 'Serstevens, p. 86.; Groslier, p. 206. 19. As a rule, these drums have been found alone, on rare occasions ajar could bee found inside the drum. This type of drum is considered to have been made by Mao people, the descendants of pu or lo/yiieh lo (yuc luo), who formerly lived in the central region of Yunnan. (Both the pu and lo are considered to be bronze drum using people, and had been living in territories of the bronze casting civilizations of Tien and Dongson respectively. Jiang Ting-yu, pp. 144-145. 20. In the third century B. C. in Kuanghsi, Kuangtung and in Hainan island, parallel with the Heger I type, there appeared the Heger II type drum, and this developed into the Karen (Heger III) type drums which are still used. We may follow the same dual character of development here. The geometrical decorations which adornde this type of drums at the beginning, were supplemented with many kind of patterns and sculptures. At the same time the meaning of the motifs taken from the oldest type of drums became sunk in oblivion. Therefore some of these patterns were discarded. (The feathered dancers here turned into a flag-like design, resembling a row of blinking owls, lying on their sides /ill. no 9./. This „owl" did not fit in with the aquatic environment of ducks, fishes, birds inherited from the oldest drums as well, and later on disappeared from the Karen drums. Fraser-Lu, p.

62.). 21. According to some researchers the small size of these drums and their portability can demonstrate the way of their changing from ritual object into a musical instrument. (Jiang Ting-yu, p.210.). 22. The fishes recognizably carps, bringing good luck by Chinese tradition: there also appear dragons among the decorations, playing with the pears of fortune, and the figures of peasants (Jiang Ting-yu pp. 210-226.). 23. The bronze drums are carefully warped, and there are strictly regulated traditions in their use (Wen You, ill. no.46.). Karen people belived that drums could help them to be in connection with the Nats, the local spirits and with the ancestral spirits. To propitiate the spirit residing within the drum a sucrificc of blood and food was customary (Fraser-Lu, p.

50.). Until nowadays Karen bronze drums were cast by Shan sraftsmen. Because of the overwhelming importance of the drum in the life of Karen, master craftsmen had to undergo certain purification rites before such a highly prized object could be cast (Fraser-Lu, pp.52-54.). 24. Until the beginning of our century the Karen had a tadition to store their treasures in frog drums and burying them, believing that they could thus take their possessions with them after death. There was a custom to store the seed grain for the next year in bronz drums, which were considered to have magic power to preserve its fertilty (Fraser-Lu, pp. 50-52.). 25. The bronze durms always could bee seen amongst the group of people in the sculptures and decorations from the Bronze Age. At Karen people the bronze drums already were important in the life of both the community and the individuals. The ownership of many drums conferred status on a village, but could cause a raid from a rival vilage and the killing of the inhabitants. The drum played an important part in rituals of calling for rain, at rice planting and harves time. It was a valued gift used as a mark of tribute amoung the different chieftains. It could form a part of the exchange of gifts preceding a marriage or could be sent as compensation in disputes. The ownership of the drum conferred higher prestige in the community than the possession of five elephants and a dram could always be easily sold to buy food (Fraser-Lu, p. 51.).