Sepik Area Drum (New Guinea, Papua New Guinea)

This large Kundu drum from the Sepik area measures 83 cm in height. Its relatively simple form is characteristic of a functional traditional drum, with only limited incised decoration on the wooden body.

Kundu drums are carved from a solid piece of wood and traditionally hollowed by a slow burning process. The wood must dry gradually to reduce the risk of cracking, making the production of a large drum a time-consuming process that may extend over several weeks or months.

The drum is a single-headed membranophone. It is held in one hand while the other hand strikes the lizard-skin membrane. Traditional drums may be tuned by heating the drumhead over a fire; small pieces of beeswax can also be applied to the membrane to modify its sound.

Throughout the Sepik region, drums are important instruments in ceremonial and communal music. They accompany dances, songs, festivals and other major occasions, where drumming forms part of a broader tradition of musical and ritual performance.

Bibliography:
Craig, Barry; Busse, Mark; Eoe, Soroi (2010): Living Spirits with Fixed Abodes – The Masterpieces Exhibition. Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery.
Fischer, Hans (1958): Schallgeräte in Ozeanien. Sound-producing Instruments in Oceania.
Martinez-Jacquet, Elena: Invocando a los espíritus: instrumentos musicales de Indonesia y Oceanía en la colección Helena Folch.