Carved by Omas
Asmat people, Sauwa village, New Guinea, Papua (Irian Jaya) Province, Indonesia
Wood, lizard skin, paint
H. 22 3/4 in. (57.8 cm)
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller and Mrs. Mary C. Rockefeller, 1965 (1978.412.962)
Drums hold a significant place in the culture of the Asmat people of southwest New Guinea. According to many origin traditions, the Asmat are descended from wood figures carved by a primordial being named Fumeripits, who lived in the first men's ceremonial house and placed the figures within it to keep him company. The lifeless figures, however, did not relieve his loneliness so he fashioned a drum. As he started to play the drum, the figures slowly came to life, becoming the first Asmat.
Drums are the primary musical instruments used by the Asmat and are beaten in a regular rhythm to accompany the songs performed as an integral part of all ceremonies and feasts. Asmat drums are fitted with drum heads of lizard skin, and the handles are often ornately carved. The imagery of the drum handles frequently includes the heads of hornbills (large forest birds) and cockatoos or, at times, representations of deceased relatives. The figure on this particular work probably depicts the father of the owner. The C-shaped motifs on the base likely represent the shell nose ornaments worn by Asmat warriors.
