huehuetl (FCbk4f19r)

This painted example of iconography is provided here to show yet one more instance of the huehuetl (standing drum). It is interesting in that it is shorter than many. Apparently made of wood, the drum has a horizontal band of jaguar hide near the top, a plain white hide flat across the top, and a stepped cutout at the bottom--more typical features. The person who is playing it is sitting on a low stool with a woven petlatl look to it. The man's knees bend upward, as the drum is pulled up close to him. Two song scrolls, one curling up and one curling down, emerge from his mouth, suggesting that the is singing while drumming. A number of dots appear next to each of the scrolls, serving to suggest a continuous sound. The man wears a cloak tied at his shoulder, which gives him some social status. The cloak is shaded with gray, giving it a three-dimensionality (showing European artistic influence).