Antique East Asian Lacquered Wooden Fish Drum

Item Details

An antique East Asian lacquered wooden fish drum with a carved wooden striker. The wooden fish drum (木魚, muyu in Chinese, mokugyo in Japanese), is a traditional percussion instrument important in Mahayana Buddhism and used across East Asian. The instrument features a bulbous hollow body with the forms of two fish arcing above on either side, holding a pearl between their joined mouths, a symbol of unity.

1938.0186

Provenance
Collected in the late 19th and early 20th century and donated to a Private Midwestern Institution in 1938
Sold to enhance and preserve the Institution’s mission-relevant Collections

Condition

- chipping and loss to lacquer and paint; minor markings and wear throughout.

Dimensions

Item #

17COL077-323