Wogumas People

A Day in the Life

An Essential Part of the Community

Slit drums—hollowed logs with a long, vertical opening for the sound—are important musical instruments for many of the traditional communities throughout Papua New Guinea. They are stored in the communal men’s society house and played during special ceremonies, such as those related to society initiations and warfare. Look at the face in the center of this drum; does it look male or female to you? It is believed to represent a female water spirit and the sound of the drum is the spirit’s voice. Ironically, women are not permitted to play the drums, and particularly special ones are even kept out of sight from women and children.

Slit drums may also serve as a long-distance communication device. In a manner similar to Morse code, drummed messages provide a way to instantly contact community members that are away from the village. You can hear the sound of a slit drum in the audio clip below.

Tools and Techniques

Behind the Scenes

Look Closer

Just for Kids

Create!

This might not look like the average drum; this drum is from Papua New Guinea, off the coast of Australia. It is played during special celebrations. Listen to a slit drum here:

At what kind of event do you think this drum is played? Why?

Have you ever drawn while listening to music before? At home, play the music again. This time listen to the rhythm of the drum. With colored pencils or markers draw what you feel or what the music reminds you of. Play the music a couple of times until you finish. Then, look at your completed artwork. What kind of lines, colors, shapes, and textures did you create? Were you able to express how the music made you feel when you were drawing? Why or why not?

Signs & Symbols

Dig Deeper

Arts Intersected

Listening to Art

This slit drum is both a musical instrument and a work of visual art. Look closer at the designs on the surface and note how these create different rhythmic effects by repeating forms that lead your eye in certain movements. Pattern and rhythm are also important in music. Listen to the sound of a slit drum in the audio clip below and continue looking at the design patterns on this drum. Consider if hearing the rhythmic sounds changes the way you see the visual rhythms.

The Sculpture Speaks

Did You Know?

Limited Information

The Wogumasin culture is comprised of four groups of people each living in their own village in the Upper Sepik region of northeast Papua New Guinea. They share a common language, Wogumas. Little is known about the early history of their villages. The main village, Wogumas, was burned by the Japanese during World War II. Art from the area is rare, but enough is known of the culture to say that their most important works relate to music and to the river.

Further Reading: Douglas Newton, Crocodile and Cassowary: Religious Art of the Upper Sepik River, New Guinea (New York: The Museum of Primitive Art, 1971).

Expert Opinion

Look Around

Musical Animals

People from Papua New Guinea are not the only ones who have used slit drums, hollowed logs with a long, narrow opening for the sound. Look at the Slit Drum in the Form of a Buffalo by the Lobala people in the African Gallery, Gallery 101.

Do you notice any similarities between the two instruments? Both integrate stylized animal forms into the structure of the drum. In the one by the Lobala people it is a water buffalo. In the one by the Wogumas people it is a crocodile, which appears on the tapered end. As you explore the Oceanic and African Galleries, look for other ways animals appear in different artworks.

About the Artist

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