Bass drum
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- long drum
Date1714-1727 ca.
Place MadeEngland, Europe
Serial No.None
SignednoneMarkingsTack design that forms a crown and the initials G R.
DescriptionMade from a single piece of elm, this oversize drum required the use of an unconventional wood, typically found only in cabinetry, furniture, and ship building. The ash rims are painted red. Ropes pass through holes drilled in the rims and are tightened by eleven leather tugs. The shell’s construction is reinforced with tacks, but some are also decorative—a crown and the letters “G R” indicate the drum was built or used during the reign of Britain’s King George I (1714-1727). According to Jayson Dobney, the use of such drums in the British military, played with a switch and mallet, was an adaptation from Turkish Janissary ensembles.
DimensionsShell height (with rims): Between 741 mm (30-1/4 in) and 753 mm (30-3/4 in)
Head diameter: Hoop with most warping measures between 545 mm (22-3/8 in) and 588 mm (24 in)
Opposite head diameter: Between 580 mm (22-5/8 in) and 590 mm (23 in)
ProvenancePurchased in 2003 from Tony Bingham, London, England.
Published ReferencesAndré Larson, "Celebrating 30 Great Years . . . Sioux Falls Exhibition Crowns Another Notable Year," National Music Museum Newsletter 30, No. 4 (November 2003), pp. 1-3.
Credit LineBoard of Trustees, 2003
Object number10467
On View
On view
1840-1850 ca.
1880-1900 ca.