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Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century
Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century

Mangbetu Slit Drum ~ Congo, 20th Century

$ 580.79

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Modified Item: No
  • Culture: African
  • Handmade: Yes
  • Condition: Very Good - wear appropriate with age and use. Third picture is a postcard showing these types of drums in situ (not included, just for reference). See pictures for visual condition.
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Congo

    Description

    Mangbetu Slit Drum
    wood with patination, decoration nails, circa 20th Century
    The slit drum is an idiophone drum, made from a hollowed piece of wood in which a narrow groove serves as a sound opening. The slit drum is struck with a stick along both sides of the narrow groove, which produces two different pitches. The possibility of combining rhythm with pitch enables the slit drum to act as a means of communication for tone-language tribes.
    The first function of these drums is communicative yet this does not preclude their role during dancing, when it is played as a rhythm instrument in a larger ensemble. Whereas it is almost a law that the possession of such instruments is the privilege of the chief and certain eminent figures as a symbol of their power and prestige within the group.
    measures approximately: 21 1/4" W (handle to handle) x 16 1/8" H x 4 7/8" D (at deepest point)