Diameter 11 in. This is a colorfully hand-painted drum from Canton, China. It is made of wood and hand-painted leather and features a dragon on one side and a phoenix or rooster on the other. There is an oval postmark on both sides which reads "Canton Fatshan St. No." Fatshan is the romanized name of Foshan, a city in Guangdong Province, which used to be called Canton Province. The name Fatshan came from the Cantonese pronunciation of Foshan. The rooster is also an important symbol on the Chinese zodiac. According to folk legend, the ancient Chinese were grateful for the rooster's punctual crowing each morning, which let them know what time it was, so it was included in the zodiac to honor animals that were important to people. A similar drum can be found at the Canton museum and is described as a two-sided percussion drum that can be used as an instrument of war. The drum measures 10 in. in diameter and 3 3/4 in. high, just like the one here.