Fon Wood Rhythm Pounder

Feel it in the floor first. Then hear it.

The Fon of Togo carved this tall wooden rhythm pounder in the 20th century. Pounders were struck against the ground to mark time in dances and ceremonies, so the beat could be felt as well as heard. This one rises three feet, a long and gently tapering cylinder finished with a rounded knob. Carved rings circle the shaft near its middle, and a long natural crack runs down the lower section.

The wood is weathered gray and brown, the upper portion darkened and smoothed by handling. Simple, upright, almost totemic. It keeps time even when it is standing still.