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Drum - Single Head

Chokwe Lizard Drum

SW DRC, Angola and Zambia
Chokwe

Wood, Animal Hide, Rope
ca. Mid-20th century

Height: 35 inches; Diameter: 14 inches
Membranophone - Struck - Directly

The Chokwe are well known for art objects produced to celebrate and validate the royal court. These objects include ornately carved stools and chairs used as thrones. This hand carved drum from a single log shows high relief carving of a lizard/alligator and ancestral faces. The Chokwe recognize Kalunga, the god of creation and supreme power, and a series of nature and ancestral spirits (mahamba). These spirits may belong to the individual, family, or the community. This symbolic village drum shows signs of tribal usage and aging.

 

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-MBST-55-110