slit drums in Ambrym Island
Illustration — Slit drums from the Bernice P. In Vanuatu, a slit drum is a musical instrument that is traditionally played by men of high rank. In most islands of Vanuatu, the drum has little to no decoration, and is played horizontally on the ground. On the island of Ambrym though, such drums stand vertically on the ground; they are decorated with one or several faces with disk eyes, representing ancestral figures; such a figure is called atingting kon.
Also recorded as Atingting kon
slit drums in Ambrym Island
Gryffindor · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Field
- slit drums in Vanuatu.
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Illustration — Slit drums from the Bernice P. In Vanuatu, a slit drum is a musical instrument that is traditionally played by men of high rank. In most islands of Vanuatu, the drum has little to no decoration, and is played horizontally on the ground. On the island of Ambrym though, such drums stand vertically on the ground; they are decorated with one or several faces with disk eyes, representing ancestral figures; such a figure is called atingting kon.
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Cultural significance
The distinctive shape of these Ambrym drums has made them iconic of Vanuatu as a whole. They are frequently found in museums around the world, represented on Vanuatu banknotes, and featured in the tourism industry.
• Illustration — Slit drum from Ambrym, Vanuatu in Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney Slit drums, whether decorated or not, hold significance in Vanuatu's traditional economy and society; they serve as symbols of a man's wealth and social status within the graded political system. The drums are sometimes found at ceremonial dance grounds and other gathering places. They have been used for dance rhythms, but also for signalling purposes. Atingting drums are thought to hold spirits, whether good or bad; they are often posted upright at the perimeter of a property or outside a house as a protection.
Slit Gong (Atingting Kon). Vanuatu, Ambrym Island, Fanla village. Wood, paint. The spiral motifs painted on the eyes represent metan galgal, the morning star.
Gryffindor
DSCN0216
Julie Lyn from Washington, DC, USA · DSCN0216 Uploaded by AlbertHerring
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Tamtam (slit drum). collections.tepapa.govt.nz.
- 2.Kirk Huffman. Tamtam (Slit Drums). encyclocraftsapr.com (The Encyclopedia of crafts in the Asia Pacific Region).
- 3.Musiques du Vanuatu. Fêtes et mystères.
- 4.A voyage towards the South Pole, and round the world. Performed in His Majesty's ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775. W. Strahan and T. Cadell. 1777.
- 5.Sounds of Secrets: Field Notes on ritual music and musical Instruments on the islands of Vanuatu. 2012.
- 6.Le Musée de Louvain-la-Neuve. Florilège. Musée de Louvain-la-Neuve. 2010.
- 7.Sounds of Secrets: Field Notes on Ritual Music and Musical Instruments on the islands of Vanuatu. 2012.
- 8.Eric Kjellgren. From Fanla to New York and back: recovering the authorship and iconography of a slit drum from Ambrym Island, Vanuatu. Journal of Museum Ethnography. 17. 118-129. 2005.
- 9.Raymond Ammann. Laurent Aubert. Chants de pouvoir au Vanuatu. Cahiers d'ethnomusicologie. 21. 117-134. 2008.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 6
- Kirk Huffman. Tamtam (Slit Drums). encyclocraftsapr.com (The Encyclopedia of crafts in the Asia Pacific Region).
- Eric Kjellgren. From Fanla to New York and back: recovering the authorship and iconography of a slit drum from Ambrym Island, Vanuatu. Journal of Museum Ethnography. 17. 118-129. 2005.
- Musiques du Vanuatu. Fêtes et mystères.
- Sounds of Secrets: Field Notes on ritual music and musical Instruments on the islands of Vanuatu. 2012.
- A voyage towards the South Pole, and round the world. Performed in His Majesty's ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775. W. Strahan and T. Cadell. 1777.
- Raymond Ammann. Laurent Aubert. Chants de pouvoir au Vanuatu. Cahiers d'ethnomusicologie. 21. 117-134. 2008.
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