Slit Drum

ClassificationsTools and Equipment-musical instruments-drums

Datemid 20th Century

Made AtPalau

MediumWood and cloth

Dimensions14 1/4 × 3 1/4 in. (36.2 × 8.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of Frieda O. Wray from the Estate of Dr. & Mrs. Douglas and Carolyn Osborne

Object number2019.17.15

DescriptionThis is a small Palauan slit drum that features a carved handle that suggests this instrument was crafted for portable use. Slit drums are crafted by hollowing a tree trunk through a lateral slit and in some cases multiple slits are carved for a desired sound. In some cultures, slit drum are associated with ancestral properties and are often reserved only for ceremonial or ritual occasions.

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