This ritual drum has a 12-pointed star that appears on the flat face or tympanum, as a central motif, surrounded by water birds thought to represent ancestors. Boats with feathered warriors are depicted around the shoulder while water buffalo motifs appear on the body. The Bronze Age of Southeast Asia was strongly influenced by the Dong Son culture of Northern Vietnam. This was an agricultural community based on wet rice cultivation. Bronze drums, weapons and tools were symbols of wealth and power, that were found in graves of the elites. They were made by specialist artisans who would have worked full-time as bronze-casters.
