Images from The Beede Gallery

NMM 1321. Slit drum (garamut), Sepik region, Papua New Guinea, early 20th century. Constructed from a log hollowed by carving and burning, with a narrow slit cut along the top. Played with one or two sticks hitting the drum either near the slit or on the sides. Symmetrical, curvilinear figures carved along the sides. Human figures (male and female) carved on the handles. Slit drums are prominent in New Guinea along the Northern coast, the Sepik region, and the smaller islands. Length: 179 cm (about 70-1/2"). Board of Trustees, 1975.

The garamut is considered to be a sacred instrument, representing the voice of the spirits. It is usually stored in the male lodgings and, among some groups, there are strict taboos against women seeing or playing it. Depending on the region and people, the garamut may be played solo, in an ensemble with other garamuts, or in an ensemble with flutes and other drums. The Iatmul people of the Sepik region, for example, always play slit drums in pairs. The two players strike the drum in alternating patterns that result in complex rhythmic lines.

The slit drum may also function as a signaling instrument to convey messages. In some West Sepik villages people have specific rhythmic patterns associated with their names that are played to summon them. The drum may also be played to signal meetings or to spread news of a death in the village.

The slit drum rests on two ovoid, carved bases made in Papua New Guinea, but not original to this instrument.

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