Wood, rope, pigment aexpand_more
The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 98.37.3
Hand drums accompany clan songs performed at important community events. The drum sound represents spirit and ancestor voices. The Iatmul believe they are descended from a giant crocodile; this important animal appears many times on this instrument. The open-ended design carved around both halves of the drum represents the gaping jaws of two crocodiles, symbolic of sky and earth. These opposing realms are linked by the drum's handle, another crocodile.
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