Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Swagup (also Swakup) Village, ca. mid-20th century CE. A tall drum, hand-carved from coffee-hued hard wood, known as a "kundu" with a long hourglass-shaped body and a central handle. The surfaces of both heads and the central body display wondrous incised linear and curvilinear motifs, and the midsection has an additional three strap loops projecting from the sides. The top has a recessed groove around the rim which enables a drum head, usually of lizard skin, to be stretched across and secured with a taught rope strand. These drums are made throughout Papua New Guinea, from a variety of local woods, and come in many forms - some dramatically carved like this one, others painted bright colors, and they are made through a complex process of hand-carving and burning that has been repeated for centuries. When in use, wax, honey, or coal tar is sometimes put onto the skin to alter the drum's sound. Size: 7.5" W x 23.25" H (19 cm x 59.1 cm).

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#135685

  • Condition: Original drum head missing. Minor nicks to head rims and handles, with light softening to some incised details, and light encrustations within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits and fine patina throughout.

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April 25, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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