Drum (gama)
- DATE:
- 19th–20th century
- MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE:
- Wood, paint, lizard skin, wax, cane, fiber, iron nails
- CLASSIFICATION:
- Sound devices
- DIMENSIONS:
- 43 1/4 × 5 1/4 × 5 7/8 in. (109.86 × 13.34 × 14.92 cm)
- DEPARTMENT:
- Arts of the Pacific Islands
- LOCATION:
- Not On View
- CREDIT LINE:
- Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Evelyn A.J. Hall and John A. Friede
- OBJECT NUMBER:
- 1983.648
General Description
Hand drums are a common musical instrument throughout Papua New Guinea, where they accompanied the clan songs that were sung at ceremonies for the completion of a clan house, initiations, and funerals.
The decoration on this example is characteristic of the art of the Papuan Gulf region, which is essentially two-dimensional with distinctively stylized designs. The primary motif is a human face represented by clusters of fluid linear patterns that indicate the features. The eyes, prominent and easily recognized, are often visual puns: the eyes of the frontal face also form the eyes of two heads of birds with long curving beaks, shown in profile. Eyebrows and nose merge in a single anchorlike element, and a geometric motif separates the human face from the lizard at the pointed end of the drum.
Excerpt from
DMA Label text.
Web Resources
- Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Met
Read an essay about musical instruments in Oceania. - Encyclopedia Britannica
Read about the climate, people, culture, and history of Papua New Guinea. - Encyclopedia Britannica
Learn more about the region of Oceania. - National Museums Scotland
Explore resources about arts of the Oceania region of the Pacific.