Vtg Authentic Taos Native American Rawhide hand Drum Buffalo Beaded Mallet 17.5"

Description

This listing is for an authentic TAOS Hand Drum and decorative mallet. The drum is handmade of rawhide and hand painted with six artistic buffalos. The mallet features a rawhide head which has beads (or something similar) in it which create a great sound when the mallet is shaken.  It is decorated with suede streamers, a feather, and some really pretty bead work. The hide on every piece is intact. There are no cracks or any damage that I could find. The color variations you see are original to the hide. It probably could be cleaned a little bit, but this should be done following the instructions on the tag. The drum measures about 17.75 inches high and is about 3.25 inches wide. The mallet is about 15.5 inches long. This drum and mallet set date to around 1994-1995 and were purchased at the Taos Drums store in New Mexico which has been in operation since 1951. They are in beautiful condition and they
come from a smoke free home. Please see all photos and zoom in so that you may see details.  I try to be as accurate as possible, but please ask any questions you may have since I may have missed something.  Thanks for checking out my listing.
***Please note that vintage and antique items are sold "as is".
From the Taos Drums website:
"At the foot of The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in venerable, five-story adobe dwellings, is where the Taos Drum originated. And in the workshops of Taos Drums, native craftsmen from Taos Pueblo continue the age-old tradition of drum making. Every drum is crafted from natural materials and renewable resources over a year-long process. Drum frames are created from wood native to Northern New Mexico-cottonwood, aspen or pine.
All trees are harvested in a sustainable way under conscientious environmental standards. Logs are stripped of bark, hollowed out, cut into sections, then stored in a warehouse and slowly dried to prevent cracking. Dried wood is then leveled, rounded and sanded. Drum heads are made from cow, deer, elk or goat hides that have been thoroughly cleaned and scraped to maintain the highest level sound, appearance and durability.
After soaking the rawhide to make it pliable, the hide is hand scalloped, stretched and secured with rawhide lacing to the frame. Each completed drum has its own distinct voice. The type of wood, the depth and diameter of the frame, the thickness and tightness of the hide, the thickness of the walls, temperature and humidity all effect the tone. The experts at Taos drums can work with you to match the best wood and hide for particular need and climate."