Buryat Shaman's Drum (Hese)
Oval single-headed frame drum of the Buryat shaman (bo), fitted with a cross-shaped handle and a rawhide head often painted with images of animals and the world tree. Struck to summon spirits and to carry the shaman between the worlds, the drum (hese) is the central instrument of Buryat ritual practice; obtaining one marked the shaman's consecration. The frame is bent from a single strip of wood, the head is stretched over it, and the inside carries an iron cross that the shaman grips with the thumb and fingers. The drum is beaten with a padded mallet, and its rhythm varies with the rite: slow