Makonde Wood Slit Drum

Before the telephone, there was the drum.

Slit drums are struck along their opening to produce resonant tones, and they accompanied dance and gatherings and sent signals across distances. This one was carved by the Makonde of Tanzania in the late 19th or early 20th century. A long rectangular body, hollowed from a single block, rides on tapering legs, and a small animal head projects from each upper corner. A narrow slit runs along the top. The wood has weathered to a pale, honeyed brown, with adze marks still visible on legs and sides.

Thirty-three inches long. It looks ready to stand up and walk off.