What are the oldest and most distinctive artifacts and musical instruments of Buyi nationality in southwest Guizhou?

The bronze drum is the oldest and most distinctive utensil and musical instrument of Buyi nationality in southwest Guizhou.

The bronze drum is the oldest and most ethnic-specific utensil and musical instrument of Buyi nationality in southwest Guizhou. Buyi language calls the bronze drum "the coming year". Buyi ancestors believed that "everything is animistic and the soul is immortal", and the bronze drum was one of the three ancestor gods they worshipped. Whether it is sacrifice or other daily activities, it is inseparable from bronze drums.

At present, there are more than 300 Buyi bronze drums in Southwest Guizhou and 226 in Xingren County, accounting for more than 75% of the total in the whole state. Mainly concentrated in Tonggu Village in Tunjiao Town, Li Guan Village in Li Guan Township, Lianzeng Village in Xinmachang Township, Muqiao Village in Baling Town and Faer Village in Tianwan Township 120.

Buyi bronze drum

Twelve notes on bronze drums refer to twelve pieces of music played with bronze drums. The twelve tunes of Buyi bronze drum are composed of magpie tune, scattered flower tune, drum worship tune, ancestor worship tune, 369 tune, ancestor worship tune and festive tune, which are national music that expresses Buyi characteristics in ceremonies such as celebrations, ancestor worship and sacrifice.

Buyi bronze drums originated in the middle and late Bronze Age and were cast into pots around the Western Zhou Dynasty. After the development of casting technology for many times, the bronze drums of Buyi ancestors with patterns on the drum surface have been cast in Qin and Han Dynasties.

The diameter of the drum surface of Buyi bronze drum is generally 48 ~ 52 cm, and the thickness is 28 ~ 30 cm. The weight of the whole bronze drum is generally16 ~ 28kg. The pattern, weight, height and circumference of bronze drums and the number of breast nails and patterns are almost uniform. There are four obvious seams on the chest of each bronze drum, which are traces left in the casting process.

The core of each bronze drum has a radiant picture of 12 suns, which is closely related to the totem worship of 12 suns by Buyi people. Divide the whole drum head into 12 layers of rings with different patterns between them.