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Astrolabe Bay Hand Drum New Guinea

















Astrolabe Bay Hand Drum (Papua New Guinea)

The hand drums of the Astrolabe Bay region of present-day Papua New Guinea form a distinctive group of single-headed drums characterized by their horizontal playing position, central handle and richly carved wooden bodies. Historical descriptions and photographs show that these instruments were closely associated with dancing and ceremonial performance in the coastal communities of the region.

The present drum is a single-headed hand drum with an elongated, slightly waisted body and a pronounced central handle. The drum is carved from a solid piece of wood and is decorated around the central section with bands of geometric incised ornament and openwork carving. The handle and the surrounding carved elements form an integral part of the wooden body rather than being separately attached components. The combination of the handle, carved ornamentation and elongated form corresponds closely to the type of hand drums documented historically from the Astrolabe Bay area.

Ludwig Biró, in his Beschreibender Catalog der ethnographischen Sammlung Ludwig Biró's aus Deutsch-Neu-Guinea, describes a group of small hand drums collected in the Astrolabe Bay region. He records that thirteen examples were sent in two consignments. According to his description, these drums generally have an hourglass-shaped form, with the skin stretched over only one side. A central, frequently openworked handle allows the instrument to be held horizontally while the performer strikes the drumhead with the three middle fingers of the other hand. Biró also notes that the wooden bodies were often decorated with elaborate carvings.

Biró records several local names for this type of drum. In Bongu it was known as okam, while wagam-tabol was recorded in Bogadji, diri in Tsinjadji and Erima, and dugwag in Graget and Thiar. He further states that drums of this type were manufactured on Karkar Island and transported from there to the neighbouring mainland coast. There they were highly valued and were regarded as indispensable for dancers. His description emphasizes the close relationship between the instrument and dance performance.

The historical photographs provide an important visual complement to Biró's written documentation. The group of drums illustrated in his catalogue shows the characteristic central handles and elaborate openwork elements found on Astrolabe Bay drums. The surviving historical photograph from Graget, taken in 1901, documents a drum of this general type being held horizontally during a dance. The photograph therefore provides direct visual evidence for the playing position described by Biró.

The drumhead was traditionally made from lizard skin. Biró specifically describes the skin used for the Tsinjadji drums as ujiba, with the projecting edges of the skin referred to as ujiba-ogola. Later ethnographic descriptions provide further information on the preparation of such skins. Tibor Bodrogi describes how lizard skins were dried, softened in water before use, stretched tightly over the opening of the drum and secured to the rim. The rim could be treated with tree sap, which acted as an adhesive when it dried.

Bodrogi also records the use of small pieces of wax from stingless Trigona bees. These pieces were attached to the drumhead and altered its sound when struck. During dancing, additional pieces of wax could be kept on the handle and used to replace pieces that had fallen away. If the skin became loose, the drum could be warmed near a fire in order to tighten the membrane again. These details demonstrate that the drum was not simply a passive musical object but an instrument whose sound was actively maintained and adjusted during performance.

The carved decoration of Astrolabe Bay hand drums is particularly remarkable. The central zones may contain raised bands, incised geometric patterns and openwork projections extending from the body. Biró carefully documents these forms but warns against assigning meanings to the carved elements where no original interpretation was available. This distinction is important: the ornamentation can be described in formal and stylistic terms, while its specific symbolic significance remains undocumented.

The historical evidence therefore places the Astrolabe Bay hand drum at the intersection of musical performance, craftsmanship and dance. Its compact form made it suitable for being carried and held during movement, while the central handle allowed the performer to maintain control of the instrument with one hand and play the membrane with the other. The richly carved body further demonstrates that the instrument was also an object of visual and technical craftsmanship.

The Astrolabe Bay hand drum is consequently an important example of how musical instruments in New Guinea can embody both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Its construction preserves knowledge of woodworking, skin preparation and sound production, while historical photographs and ethnographic descriptions document its role in dance and communal performance. The surviving examples also provide valuable evidence for the regional circulation of instruments between Karkar Island and the mainland communities of the Astrolabe Bay.

Historical documentation

Ludwig Biró, Beschreibender Catalog der ethnographischen Sammlung Ludwig Biró's aus Deutsch-Neu-Guinea. The catalogue documents thirteen small hand drums collected in two consignments and records their forms, local terminology, construction and decoration.

The historical photograph of the drums from the Biró collection illustrates several examples of this type and provides a valuable comparison with the present drum.

The photograph from Graget, Astrolabe Bay, dated 1901, documents the use of a comparable drum during dance performance.


References:
Aldo Massola: Drum Types of Eastern New Guinea. 1957.
Bodrogi, Tibor: Art in North-East New Guinea. Budapest: Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1961, pp. 79–81.
Biró, Ludwig: Beschreibender Catalog der ethnographischen Sammlung Ludwig Biró's aus Deutsch-Neu-Guinea.
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