Drum "bulup"
D. R. Congo, Kuba
not available anymore
Provenance
Reinhold Werr, Würzburg, Germany (collected in situ, 1968)Size
H: 79,5 cm
H: 31.3 inch
Description
light brown wood, dark brown patina, animal drum skin, the upper part of the body covered with incised geometrical ornaments, the handle continued in the shape of a hand, min. dam., traces of abrasion, small missing parts, small holes in the drum skin;
the decoration of a drum reflects the wealth and prestige of a given community. The handle in form of a hand is both a visual pun (the drummer’s hand and the drum’s hand) and a reference to “iyol”, the society of soldiers. To join the “iyol” in the past, a man had to kill an enemy and bring proof to the town council in the form of a severed hand.