Slit gong, about 1940
Lobalaexpand_more
Woodexpand_more
The Mary Ruth Weisel Endowment for Africa, Oceania, and the Americasexpand_more 2012.66
On View in Gallery 254expand_more
Why would this elegant instrument sometimes be called a “talking drum”' Technically speaking, it’s not a drum—it has no membrane, the sound emanating instead from a narrow slit in the hollowed-out center. But slit gongs were used to communicate, as the sides of the instrument were made of slightly different thicknesses to produce two different pitches—a high tone and a low tone—when struck by mallets or bare hands. This contrast can mimic the words of a tonal language, essentially “talking.”
Details
- Title
- Slit gong
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2012.66
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
800px
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.
Error loading high resolution image. Report this problem.