LARGE 19TH CENTURY NEW GUINEA PAPUAN GULF SHARK MOUTH DRUM W/  OLD GERMAN LABEL 

Origin: Papuan Gulf, South Coast of New Guinea, Purari Delta, Namau   (Provenance: Ex. Kevin Conru, Brussels,  Ex. Tad Dale, Santa Fe New Mexico)

Period/Date: 19th Century

Materials:  Wood, Animal Hide, Fiber, Natural Sap Resin

Description:  Here's a fantastic stone-carved drum presented on a custom wood and metal display stand.  What makes it special is its large impressive size, strong deeply-carved ancestor faces, and its very old German Label which translates to "tree drum, New Guinea"!  It is one of the best examples of its type we've seen and certainly the oldest.  The drum head is unusual in that it is animal hide secured with wooden pegs. The unusual materials and construction suggests that it may have been a replacement from one of the early German ethnological museums?  There are some old cracks and indigenous mends and some old loss to the top rim which might be expected on a piece of this vintage.

Dimensions:   Length 31.5"  (80 cm), Width 7.5"  (19 cm)

Price:   RESERVED