New Guinea
Huon Gulf Drum New Guinea
Huon Gulf Drum (Huon Gulf, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea)
The kundu drum is one of the characteristic musical instruments of the Huon Gulf and neighbouring regions of northeastern New Guinea. Its distinctive hourglass form, central handle and single membrane represent a highly developed regional tradition of drum making in which musical function and woodcarving are closely connected. Historical examples from the Huon Gulf preserved in museum collections demonstrate the remarkable consistency of this general form, while individual drums differ considerably in their proportions, carving and surface treatment.
The drumhead was traditionally made from reptile skin. In the Huon Gulf, lizard skin was prepared by drying the fresh hide and later softening it in water before stretching it tightly over the drum opening. The membrane was secured at the rim with a binding of cane, while an adhesive made from plant material helped fix the skin to the wood. The resulting membrane could be adjusted repeatedly during performance.
An important part of the sound production was the use of beeswax. Small pieces of wax from stingless Trigona bees were attached to the drumhead and altered its acoustic response. During dancing, additional pieces of wax could be kept on the handle and applied when necessary. If the membrane became loose, it could be warmed over a fire to restore its tension and was subsequently beaten to bring the drum back into tune.
The drum was used principally to accompany singing and dancing and formed part of the ceremonial musical life of communities in the Huon Gulf. The historical photographs associated with the region provide valuable evidence for this use, showing drums of closely related form being carried and played during performances. The instrument was therefore not simply a percussion instrument but an integral part of collective dance and ceremonial expression.
"It is a common feature of the drums made in the Huon Gulf area that they are all narrower in the middle and broader toward the ends, that is, they are shaped like hour-glasses. The opening covered by the skin is surrounded by an indented rim, whereas the uncovered opening on the other side has an embossed ring around it. The handle is similar everywhere: a simple open arc, shorter or longer, carved in a flat or cylindrical shape. The drums are ornamented by carving and engraving. The carved parts are on the side opposite the handle, whereas the engraved designs cover the “waist” of the drum in a width corresponding to the length of the handle; other motifs branch out from them toward the top and bottom opening of the drum.(...) Biró tells us that according to the craftsmen the designs on the "waist" of the drum mean bracelets and motifs peculiar to bracelets."
Excerpt from: Bodrogi, Tibor (1961), Art in North-East New Guinea. Budapest: Hungarian Academy of Science, pp. 79–81.
"The skins of the lizards were simply dried and, without any further preparation, rolled up in a bamboo tube. Before use, the skins were softened in water, stretched tightly over the opening of the drum and firmly bound at the rim; the edge hanging out under the binding was pulled from all sides until the drumhead became evenly taut. First, however, the rim of the drum was smeared with the juice of a tree which glued the skin securely to the wood on drying. Another important material was the wax supplied by the stingless Trigona bees, pea-sized pieces of which were rolled and stuck to the drumhead. If these wax pieces were hit, the drum gave a pleasanter sound. During the dance every man had a nut-sized piece of wax stuck to the handle of the drum, to replace pieces which came off. If the skin began to sag during the dance, it was warmed at the fire to make it taut again, and it was occasionally beaten to tune it."
Excerpt from: Bodrogi, Tibor (1961), Art in North-East New Guinea. Budapest: Hungarian Academy of Science, pp. 79–81.
Bibliography:
Bodrogi, Tibor (1961): Art in North-East New Guinea. Budapest: Hungarian Academy of Science.
Dark, Philip J. C. (1974): Kilenge Art and Life. London: Academy Press.
Finsch, Otto (1888): Reisen in Kaiser Wilhelms-Land und Neu-Guinea an Bord des Dampfers Samoa.
Finsch, Otto (1888): Ethnologische Erfahrungen und Belegstücke aus der Südsee: Beschreibender Katalog einer Sammlung im K.K. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseum in Wien.
Craig, Barry (ed.): Living Spirits with Fixed Abodes.
Kunst, Jaap: Music in New Guinea – Three Studies. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1967.