This damaru is crafted from red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus; Skt. raktachandana), a rare and precious hardwood native to the Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Distinct from true sandalwood, it is valued for its deep red heartwood, considered highly auspicious, and once reserved exclusively for sacred use. Drums of this quality are extraordinarily rare—the wood itself is among the most difficult to obtain. The drum is fitted with a white skin stretched across each face.

"The Buddhist damaru or 'little drum' (Tib. rnga chung) has a similar form to its early Shaivite prototype, but it is more compressed in shape, and its double skins are glued to the drumheads rather than being tied with a latticed tension-string. Its double-hemispherical body is commonly turned from wood into a perfectly round section, or hand-carved into a slightly oval or trapezoid shape."

— Robert Beer, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, p. 254

Details

• Height: 4-5/8 in (11.7 cm)
• Width: 4.25 in (10.8 cm)
• Depth: 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
• Material: Red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) Sterling silver band. 
• Skin: White
• Origin: Bhutan