VERY OLD RARE HARDWOOD NEW GUINEA DRUM

This archaic looking drum from the Sepik Region of New Guinea is worn from age and usage.  Its  a very unusual drum as it appears to have a vertical alignment, where the peck at the base would have fitted into a hole in a log or beam.  Most drums like this would have been called garamut drums and had a horizontal format.   The final is appears to be half human and half crocodile 

The garamut drum, often carved with a distinctive crocodile head finial, plays a vital role in ceremonial music, initiation rituals, and inter-village communication, where it also functions as a message drum. The crocodile motif represents ancestral power and the protective spirit of the clan, lending the instrument not only a commanding presence but also spiritual resonance. Its deep, resonant sound is believed to embody the “voice of the ancestors” or the crocodile spirit itself, making it a powerful conduit between the physical and spiritual realms. Notable examples of these drums can be found in major collections, including the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, which holds an early 20th-century Iatmul garamut collected during 1930s fieldwork, as well as the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Gallery of Australia.

This drum has the obvious damage to the side from excessive use. It is however still very sturdy and structurally very sound. 

84cm long x 17cm wide

Please view the photos carefully as they make up an important part of the description