A truly amazing piece of artisan craftmanship. This antique drumbeater comes from a remote, rural area in Nepal and has been completely handcarved with great care and attention.
The beater shows a typical Nepalese 'namaskara mudra' figurine, referring to the hands being folded in prayer- or greeting position. Statues and figurines in this style are an intricate part of Nepal's cultural heritage. Bigger sized statues are often called 'putali' statues and can be found all over the land, for example at the entrance of temples, shrines or houses, at bridges, important crossroads, the central square or biggest tree of a village and so on. They are both greeting-statues and protective statues. With the traditional hand mudra they greet the visitors and passers-by, but also they protect the area or building where they are standing. Often a spirit of a local ancestor dwells in them.
The namaskara mudra style can however also be found in much smaller objects, as woodcarved figurines on both daily attributes and ritual items. Also in this case they often serve the purpose of a spirit house; a physical home for the spirit that is connected to the item.
This drumbeater is a very old one already and has a long history of usage, which can be seen by the beautiful glossy patina on the wood. A drumbeater such as this combines a practical usage with a deep connection to the spiritworld. Please be aware that it was made to be a spirit home and used as such for a long time. It is thus be treated with the utmost care, friendship and respect.
This drumbeater has a length of 35 centimeters and a weight of 78 grams.
