Papuan Gulf, south coast Papua New Guinea
19th century
Wood
Dimensions not provided
Provenance: Private East Coast Collection
This Papuan Gulf drum is an hourglass-form hand drum often referred to as a kundu, the Tok Pisin term used in Papua New Guinea for this type of drum. Carved with stone tools, it shows a shark-mouth form with incised clan designs and ancestor faces in high relief. Drums of this type were used in ceremonial contexts, where rhythm, song, and ancestral narratives were joined in acts of protection, fertility, and community continuity. Older examples were often retained as family heirlooms and used across generations.
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Papuan Gulf, south coast Papua New Guinea
19th century
Wood
Dimensions not provided
Provenance: Private East Coast Collection
This Papuan Gulf drum is an hourglass-form hand drum often referred to as a kundu, the Tok Pisin term used in Papua New Guinea for this type of drum. Carved with stone tools, it shows a shark-mouth form with incised clan designs and ancestor faces in high relief. Drums of this type were used in ceremonial contexts, where rhythm, song, and ancestral narratives were joined in acts of protection, fertility, and community continuity. Older examples were often retained as family heirlooms and used across generations.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
