Slit Drum
Artist: Mangbetu Peoples (African)
Date: Late 19th- early 20th century
Dimensions:
H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm), W. 26 1/4 in. (66.7 cm); Depth: 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm).
Medium: Carved wood with cast metal rings.
Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1983.90
Label Text:The “talking drum” served as a mouthpiece for an entire community. It was played to alert the community to a festival or ceremony, or to convey news of a king’s death or a visitor’s arrival. Made from a dark, hard wood, the drum is sometimes carved a different thickness on each side to increase the number of sounds that can be produced. These can imitate the sounds of language over distances of several miles. The drum also served as a symbol of royal authority at the courts of Mangbetu kings, where it was paired with a larger one shaped as a buffalo or crocodile.
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