Democratic Republic of Congo
Dengese (subgroup of Kuba)

Wood, skin, metal tacks
Early 20th century
Height: 16 inches
Membranophone – Struck (Directly) – Single Headed

A beautiful stylized anthropomorphic drum in the form of a human head, comes from the Dengese (Ndengese)people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), a subgroup of the Kuba. This one-piece carved drum is supported on a flat circular base that extends to the neck, which is encircled with raised neck rings. The well defined serene face shows a small protruding mouth, a nose with flatten nostrils, and small elongated coffee-bean eyes (gazed downward) beneath arched brows.  On this goblet head shaped drum, the coiffure flares upward and back with crosshatched incised design overall. There is raised scarification on face and back of neck. The drum skin is attached to a cylindrical rim projecting above the Dengese style hatched coiffure that is decorated with carved geometrical patterns. Wood from the rain forests of the Congo River Basin provides the materials for this powerful silhouette drum.