Asmat Wood Ceremonial Drum

A ladder of openwork loops runs down one side, as if the handle could not decide where to stop.

This ceremonial drum is Asmat, from the Central and Coastal Region of West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Indonesia, and dates to the early 20th century, in wood. Asmat drum handles are often carved in openwork, often read as stylized animals or ancestors. The tapering body is carved with shallow arched panels and zigzag lines running vertically. The long handle is cut into a chain of open teardrop and triangular shapes. A skin head with a woven fiber rim covers the top. It is 39.5 inches high, 9 wide and 7 deep.

Lace on one side, thunder in the middle.