Waropen Village, East of Geelvink Bay
Melanesia – Papua New Guinea
Korwar

Wood, reptile skin head
Collected in 1954
Length: 25.5 in; Diameter: 6.75 in
Membranophones – Directly Struck

Attractive single-head drum with handle decoration of two carved human figures separated by typical Korwar scrollwork.  All the carving is one piece and original. Hourglass shaped drums are typically played during feasts and ritual ceremonies. These Korwar figures signify the special relationship between the humans and the ancestral world. This drum was clearly made and used well before it was collected in 1954 at the village of Waropen, Geelvink Bay, showing a nice patina on the handle.