Atingting kon (slit gong)

In Vanuatu, large slit gongs with anthropomorphic features embody ancestors. Finials carved as stylized faces reference community forebears, a chief’s family lineage, or the sponsor of the carving. Groups of gongs preside over dance and meeting grounds. The instruments’ unblinking eyes cast a watchful gaze over social and religious gatherings. Ancestral voices emanate from the gongs in complex and varied rhythms, allowing the dead to participate in events with their descendants.