Oceania, Melanesia, Vanuatu, ca. early 20th century CE. A splendid and sizeable slit drum or tamtam, skillfully hand-carved from butterscotch-hued wood in the abstract form of a spirit or an ancestor. Presenting a columnar form, the fascinating instrument features a lengthy slit that stretches vertically down its center - hence its name - and leads to a central cavity. The drum is capped by the carefully carved head of a cassowary - a bird native to Vanuatu - displaying a high casque with a jagged periphery, huge, arched brows above annular eyes, a projecting, hooked beak, a pair of large, and teardrop-shaped wattles that fall below the head, onto the neck. A stippled pattern representing the bird's rough skin adorns the head and neck. Size: 15" in diameter x 95" H (38.1 cm x 241.3 cm); 96.5" H (245.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Slit drums are traditionally carved by men in an area where females are not permitted. The most difficult and time-consuming process when carving is hollowing out the interior cavity of the drum via its narrow slit, which serves as the mouth of the particular spirit or ancestral group that the drum represents. Thus, the beating of the drum is believed to combine sounds from the World of the Living and the World of the Dead. When beaten, slit drums produce deep, sonorous tones that are used to communicate coded messages which are forwarded on and even sent from island to island. The drums are also beaten for ritual or festive performances. Their distinctive shape has made them iconic of Vanuatu as a whole, causing them to be represented on banknotes, featured in the tourism industry, and frequently found in museums around the world.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 1995 to 2010

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#166699

Collection number inscribed on verso. Several stable pressure fissures, as well as chipping and loss to bottom and sides, all commensurate with age. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions throughout. A few old, inactive insect holes. Otherwise, excellent with nice patina. Drilled to custom stand.