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The Rain Drum

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 08:38

rain-drum-1The rain drum gets it's name from the beautiful sounds it makes when being struck by the heavy monsoon rains of Southeast Asia. These drums are made of bronze and cast using an ancient lost-wax technique that allowed them to be sculpted with very great detail.

Depending on where they are made, they go by different names. In Vietnam, they are called Dong Son Rain Drum after the the dynasty and location from which they were first found. In Thailand they are called Thai Bronze Rain Drum and in Laos they are called Laos Style Rain Drum.

The oldest rain drums discovered were in the Vinh Phuc Province in Vietnam. These ancient rain drums have been dated from 1,500 B.C. It is also widely acknowledged that this form of art originated from China in the Yunnan Province up to 1,000 years earlier than the drums discovered in Vinh Phuc.

bil0902008344d-150All of the rain drums feature detailed motifs which symbolize lucky spirits.They often depict frogs, buffalo, elephants, the sun, palms, turtles, fish and many other natural forms. It was believed that these lucky spirits would ensure a healthy rain, and so a good harvest in the coming year. The frog is a common theme with rain drums, it was believed that the Thunder God was afraid of the frog that would pacify the cacophonous thunder. The frog is also associated with the spring rains, when they croak loudly in April it is a time of happiness.

 

ceremonialdrum16x22cThe remarkable details and beautiful bronze patina make the  rain drum a popular item for the garden or inside the home. They can be fitted with a glass top and used as a table or simply placed in the garden to wait for the rain to tap on them and make a beautiful sound.

 

The Richard Gervais Collection has a diverse selection of rain drums. To see them all, browse the Articfacts section or click HERE.

 
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about_collection

inside4_1

The Richard Gervais Collection is home based in San Francisco, California and is a long standing reliable resource for unique collectibles and art, available to the public and the wholesale trade community of interior designers, decorators, landscape architects, gardeners and collectors. The collection consists of a myriad of country, ethnic, primitive and folk art, antiquities, artifacts and decorative home accessories and furniture from many Asian ports of call.

Richard Gervais is the hands on owner and founder and travels extensively through Asia concentrating his travels to the countries of Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Viet Nam in constant search of unique, interesting and the unusual in antiquities, art and artifacts. His collection is featured in several leading design showrooms on both coasts.

client-testimonial

From the desk of Patrick Presto - San Francisco

To visit Richard’s gallery is to step through the looking glass into an exquisite world of beautiful things.  Each personally selected art item carries the story of a hunter-gatherer, a connoisseur searching for the unique, the captivating, the creations of artisans from around the globe.  The pieces you will see here, some museum quality, some utilitarian, some decorative reflect Richard’s desire to expose his clients and his friends to the cultures and art of exotic worlds, to the extraordinary.

For a memorable adventure, do yourself a favor when traveling to San Francisco and include this “museum” experience.  Definitely worth five stars in a guidebook.  Besides being fun, it’s visually entertaining and wonderful for unique gifts large or small.  Richard is a gregarious fellow, a great storyteller and a welcoming, jolly man.

Read the rest of this testimonial and see more in Richard's Guest Book.

CLICK HERE