Casuarina Coast Drum
Northwest and Central Asmat
Collected 1953-1962
Drum, Casuarina Coast, Central Asmat. Exact provenance unknown. Wood, red ochre, lizard skin, rattan, Patina from use. 7 x 28 in.
Wood carving is a flourishing tradition among the Asmat, and wood carvers are highly esteemed. The cultural hero Fumeripits was considered the first wood carver, and all subsequent wood carvers (known as wowipits) are obligated to continue his work. The Asmat believe there is a close relationship between humans and trees and recognize wood as the source of life.
According to the Asmat origin myth, Fumeripits was the first being to exist on earth and also created the first men’s ceremonial house, or jeu (a clubhouse for men where community issues are discussed, the artwork is made, and ceremonies are held). Fumeripits would spend his days dancing along the beach, but he grew tired of being alone after a while. So, he chopped down several trees, carved them into human figures, and placed them inside the jeu. However, since the sculptures were inanimate, Fumeripits was still unhappy. He then created a drum, chopped down another tree, hollowed out the center, and stretched a piece of lizard skin over the top. As he began to play the drum, the human figures miraculously came to life; their elbows came unstuck from their knees, and they began to dance.
Like Fumeripits, present-day Asmat has a strong tradition of carving a figural sculpture out of wood. These figures, representations of ancestors, are traditionally displayed inside the men’s ceremonial house. Although these sculptures commemorate specific individuals who have died, they are not direct portraits and have generalized features and similar body types. A common pose for these ancestral figures is the elbows-to-knees position (or wenet pose), believed to be the same pose that all humans assume at birth and again at death.
The only musical instruments the Asmat uses are drums, beaten in a regular rhythm to accompany songs that are part of all ceremonies and feasts. Lizard-skin tympanums (drum heads) are attached to the drums with an adhesive mixture of lime and human blood. Handles are elaborately carved, usually with images of relatives and the heads of parrots and cockatoos. The figure in this particular work probably represents the father of the owner. The designs on the base of the drum depict the shell-nose ornaments worn by Asmat warriors.
A short log for a drum is laboriously hollowed out using water, a stick of hardwood, and later fire. The outside is shaped by a long chisel into an hourglass form, retaining a prominent ridge for the grip. Then, the grip, usually the most decorative part of the drum, is shaped. When the carving is finished, a piece of lizard skin is stretched over one of the openings, cemented in place with a mixture of shell line and lights, and strengthened with a cane ring.