Slit Gong, Probably Small Nambas, Malakula, Vanuatu

Lynda Cunningham, New York, acquired before November, 1979

Oceanic Primitive Arts (adv.), African Arts, November 1979, vol. XIII, no. 1, p. 77

Very good condition overall. A hole to the top of the head. Scattered nicks, chips, scratches, cracks, and abrasions, consistent with age and use. Insect damage to the underside of the drum and more minor damage in places elsewhere. Traces of encrusted earth/pigment, most notably to the recesses of the face and the brow. Has stand.
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Distinctive for their minimalist aesthetic and tonal versatility, slit gongs were symbols of status in Vanuatu society and have been an important part of the musical tradition of the indigenous inhabitants for centuries. Upon landing on the island of Malakula, from which the present lot originates, the crew of Captain James Cook remarked: 'We realized that the people on Malakula spend part of their time playing music and dancing. Their instruments are very simple [...] We only heard drums [...]' (Ammann, Sounds of Secrets, 2012, p. 119).

Slit gongs are prominently featured in social and religious ceremonies in the island chain, often in ensemble with other gongs of different sizes. Sculpted from hollowed-out tree trunks, the top of the gong is carved as a powerful stylized face of an ancestor, with large protruding triangles representing the eyes and nose, and the slit representing the mouth. These objects were therefore perceived as portraits as much as instruments. The playing of the gong symbolized the activation of the ancestor's spirit, though the instruments were also used to communicate over long distances. This particular drum was probably made by the Small Nambas people of Malakula, who are named for the style of phallocrypt which the men wear.