This Tumbuna drum is used in initiation ceremonies and yam festivals. Drums were carved with an adze and hollowed out by a slow burning process. The making of a drum takes a long time; it may take weeks, or even months, for the wood must dry slowly to avoid cracking. Small black pellets of beeswax, used for fine tuning the sound quality of the drum, are attached in a circular pattern around the center of the head. Tuning is accomplished by heating the head over fire.
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 and fertility. This drum is old and it has no lizard skin.
The Monitor lizard skins on the heads of drums are now on the endangered specie list. A wonderful addition to your home or collection Late 20th-Century Museum Quality Shows age and Natural wear 32 Inches Tall 6 Inches Wide Base 7 1/4 Inches x 8.5 Inches Handle 7.5 Inches Long 4.5 Inches Wide 2 3/4 Inch Opening. AT BACARA WE STAND BEHIND ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE. YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR MAIN GOAL, AND WE THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT BACARA. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Pacific Islands & Oceania". The seller is "bacara-online" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.