Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Drum

early 20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199
Master or lead drums such as this kettle-shaped one were the musical and visual focal point of secular bands that performed a traditional form of entertainment popular in the Akan communities of southern Ghana. Drums in these ensembles were thought of in terms of a family, with the master drum being the mother, emphasizing the importance of the traditional matrilineal kinship system. The two female caryatids holding the drum represent the instrument's perceived femininity. The mother nurturing her child alludes to female fecundity and to the importance of the matrilineal line in Akan culture. The woman writing in a book reflects the Akan preoccupation with education. These motifs exemplify the common familial, social, and political iconography of master drums.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Drum
  • Date: early 20th century
  • Geography: Ghana
  • Culture: Akan Ashanti people
  • Medium: Wood, polychrome, skin, trade beads, plastic
  • Dimensions: Height: 20 7/8 in. (53 cm)
    Width: 21 5/8 in. (55 cm)
    Depth: 13 3/4 in. (35 cm)

    Weight: 45 lbs approx
  • Classification: Membranophone-single-headed / kettle drum
  • Credit Line: Gift of Raymond E. Britt Sr., 1977
  • Object Number: 1977.454.17
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
Akrafokonmu (soul washer’s disk), Asante-Akan artist, Gold, Akan peoples, Asante group
On loan to The Met
Akrafokonmu (soul washer’s disk)
Asante-Akan artist
18th–19th century
Baz, metal, skin, bead, cowrie shell, and cord, Egyptian
Baz
Egyptian
late 19th century
Śankh, Shell (Turbinella pyrum), brass, wax, Indian
Śankh
Indian
19th century
Abamphruwa (gold-dust box), Asante-Akan artist, Brass, Asante
Abamphruwa (gold-dust box)
Asante-Akan artist
19th–first quarter of 20th century
Batá, Brandon Rosser American, Sweet maple, polyurethane finish, brass and copper bells, nylon, steel bolts, jet bead, deer skin heads, golden oak stain, red clay, American
Batá
Brandon Rosser
2004

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.