Comparative Study of Selected Bronze Drums Between Thailand and Southwest China

Abstract

This dissertation takes the comparative study of selected bronze drums between Thailand and Southwest China as the research topic. The objective were as follows: 1) To describe the distribution and the classification of selected bronze drums in Thailand and southwest China. 2) To compare the organological features of selected bronze drums in Thailand and southwest China. 3) To analyze characteristics of selected music examples of bronze drums in southwest China and Thailand. The research utilized document, investigation, iconography and typology forms, and questionnaires with ten key informants as research tools, the results of this research reveal the following:

1. There are Heger I and Heger III two types of bronze drums visible in Thai collections, corresponding to the types of bronze drums in southwest China, they are HI - SZS (Shizhaishan type), HI - LSC (Lengshuichong type), HIII - XM (Ximeng type) bronze drum.

2. There may be three main transmission paths of bronze drums spreads to Thailand. Most of the HI-SZS type in southwest China looks earlier than HI-TA type in Thailand. The HI-LSC type looks later than HI-TB type bronze drum or two different paths of development. There is little difference between HIII-XM in southwest China and HIII-TC in Thailand.

3. There are changes in function and musical performance characteristics of each of the five periods. The ancient bronze drum in southwest China has gone through a long development process from musical instrument to national importance instrument to ritual instrument to sacred instrument. The ancient bronze drums in Thailand migrated and settled with their owners. After a period of glory and silence, it finally followed the Tai people and continued to be a national importance instrument ritual instrument and musical instrument in the imperial court for thousands of years. In modern times, bronze drums in Thailand pay more attention to their symbolic meaning of worshiping and connecting deities, but in southwest China are mostly used in folk festivals and ceremonies. Musical performance characteristics are different.

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