Eastern banks of the Lower Fly River, Papua New Guinea
Gogodala People

Wood, pigment
Early – Mid 20th century
Length: 31 in; Width: 6 in; Depth: 5.5 in
Membranophones – Directly Struck

An early / mid-20th century cylinder drum called ‘worua’ from the Gogodala people (Hamson) of the eastern banks of the Lower Fly River, Papua New Guinea.  The hourglass-shaped body shows graphic red and black paint decoration overall.  

The art forms of the Gogodala are different from the rest of the gulf, in that designs are usually painted rather than carved.  The handle is cut from the solid wood of the drum body and continues around the body of the drum, forming two encircling bands or rings, at the narrowing or waist of the drum body.  At one end a tympanum of Varanus skin is used and kept in position by a plaited rattan band.  Seen here is an authentic replacement of the original tympanum.  This ‘worua’, published in “Red Eye of the Sun: The Art of the Papuan Gulf,” came without a tympanum and is shown without one in the book.  The opposite end is left open but shaped to represent the open jaw of a crocodile (sibala).  The individuals who make these drums are supposed to possess the right “magic” or the drum would never have the right tone without it.

Today, the Gogodala are a tribe of approximately 25,000, located in 33 villages in Papua New Guinea.  Due to the swampy nature of the region, the tribe uses brightly colored dugout canoes to get around. Their livelihood is maintained by fishing, hunting, and raising pigs. Sago, that comes from the inside of some palms, is also an important part of their diet.  The village homes are made with palm branches and metal roofing is beginning to replace their thatched roofs.

Resource: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11918/PP;   Drum Types of Eastern New Guinea by ALDO MASSOLA, Curator of Anthropology, National Museum of Victoria.- https://museumsvictoria.com.au/media/5626/jmmv227.pdf