EXOTIC DRUM IDENTIFICATION HELP

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difranco2k16

Junior Member
Greetings from the Natural State. I recently ran into this drum and have searched for hours on its origin with no success. It appears to be a single piece of wood, animal skin on top, 3 legged all of which are carved skulls, a moon or crescent carved on the main part, along with a leaf, and some sort of "ladder-looking" symbol. The closest I got was SENUFO from Ivory Coast, Ashanti from Ghana, but nothing identical. If you can help or know someone who can I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much
 

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The skull designs look like something from mesoamerica, Mayan or Aztec, both of which had upright drums called huetlhuetl in Nahuatl with carved legs, probably constructed with fire. The tuning system is unmistakably African. I know in some regions the New World Natives adopted African construction tuning techniques, for their drums. For example the tribes around New Orleans had tuning systems similar that are thought to be from African design. Could also be Caribbean/Cuban, but I'm not aware of the skull motifs being used there.
 
I am seeing that type drum and tuning on some African/congolese drums.
 

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I wouldn't necessarily assume it's particularly old or that it was ever an actual musical instrument-- it could be a tourist/export item from who knows what country, with the makers trying to cop a "primitive"/"voodoo" motif. It's definitely not an instrument now, having been apparently left out in the weather for a number of years.

I guess I would take my best guess as to nationality based on that peg style of tensioning, and see if I could locate someone expert in that nation's drumming, and see what they make of it. Or look up some retailers of African instruments. There's a store in Portland called Rhythm Traders, the owner of which started out importing African drums-- Brad Boynton is his name. He might be able to help you, or refer you to someone.
 
If it helps...

The leaf is ovate and smooth with very few lateral veins....

If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say Ficus Sycomorus. Maybe
Ficus Benghalensis.

I agree with others.. It looks like someone stuck the top of an African drum on the bottom of a South/Central American drum.
 
How cool would it be to be an ancient drum expert, and to have people ask you to look at drums like this all the time and ask where it's from and when it was made and stuff...... probably wouldn't be that good of income though unfortunately :/
 
Could it have been a prop for the original King Kong movie?
 
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