Hand Drum

Culture: Anishinaabe artist
Date: late 19th century
Material: Hide, pigment, wood, and metal nails
associated with: United States, North and Central America
Classification: Musical instruments, paintings
Collection: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 3 × 16 in. (7.6 × 40.6 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Donald A. Herbst and Danielle Foster-Herbst, in memory of Lorenz Kneedler Ayers, Anna Marguerite Spackman Ayers, Donald Frederick Herbst, and Barbara Ayers Herbst
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 234:2019

NOTES

A bird in full profile stands on the horizon at left. To the right, another bird extends its wings and turns its beak. The upright posture and triangular base show the yellow figure in the process of transforming. Numerous Anishinaabe narratives describe the metamorphosis of humans to thunderbirds, powerful manitous (spirit beings) that issue lightning from their eyes and create thunder by flapping their wings. Here, the horizon line underscores the Anishinaabe organization of the world into distinct zones of power above and below the earth’s surface.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.