A Fine Old Drum Middle Sepik River Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old Drum Middle Sepik River Papua New Guinea

This beautiful old Drum is from the Iatmul People in the Middle Sepik area of the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea.  This hourglass shaped drum is often referred to as a Kundu which is the Papua New Guinea pidgin English term for this type of drum.  Old drums like this fine example were family heirlooms often used over several generations of a family.  The whole drum is finely incised with ancestors faces in high relief along with clan designs that were later highlighted with ochre . The lug handle and whole drum have a old deep patina from use and storage in the men’s ceremonial house.  The use of drums are very important to all traditional ceremonies where drumming and singing relate stories of ancient ancestral beings who are invoked for protection & fertility.

Provenance: Collected in 1965-1966  by the Geologist Peter Austin. Much of Austins collection was sold to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and published in a book  “New Guinea : Big Man Island”  by  ES Rogers, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Canada 1970.   The collection remains in the Toronto Museum today.  His best objects were kept for 50 years until the collection was sold to me.

INQUIRE HERE

 

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.