New Mexico
Southwest / Cochiti

Wood, cowhide, pigment
Early – Mid 20th century
Height: 16.25 in, Diameter: 12.5 in
Membranophone – Struck Membranophone 

A Cochiti polychrome two-headed drum from New Mexico, used in Pueblo ceremonies.  It is suggested that the Spaniards introduced the two-headed drum to the Pueblo people of New Mexico over 400 years ago.  The wooden shell is made from a fallen cottonwood tree trunk and hollowed out with a knife. Each end of the hollowed shell drum was painted yellow with an alternating black, white, and black line, that separates the center that was painted a rustic red color. Both ends were then covered by circular cut cowhides with scalloped edges that are soaked overnight and then stretched over both ends and tethered with rawhide thongs. Black paint has been applied to the skins on both heads. The scalloped edges of the rawhide form a ‘half circle’ design or sometimes referred to as ‘clouds.’ The drum is said to suggest the thunder that comes with rain.

This drum was gifted from the Pueblo community to a schoolteacher who taught at Cochiti Elementary school until the 1950s, when she retired.  A complete provenance and letter from the schoolteacher’s son accompany this drum which was passed on to me in the 1970s.

The Cochiti, are a Keresan-speaking tribe, whose pueblo is located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, about 35 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the northernmost Keresan Pueblo in the state and consists of @ 1,200 pueblo members.  The Cochiti maintain their cultural practices and are well known for their craftmanship in making jewelry, pottery, and drums.