Abstract: |
Stimulated by the discovery of five drums from Ongbah Cave, Thailand, the author has undertaken a new critical analysis of Heger Type I drums, including all the published sub-divisions, to establish new groupings based on the decline of decorative zones on the tympanum and on the mantle. It is argued that there are two, more or less contemporary regional schools of decoration. The one characterised by the "saw-tooth" motif is typical of Yunnan and the other, in Vietnam, is marked by the ubiquitous presence of "comb-tooth" and pointed circle' decoration. Both main types have been exported to many parts of Southeast Asia.
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