This drum is from the Asante people of Ghana and is 535mm long. It is an instrument made of wood and hide. It was played with a drum stick on one end. Squeezing the strings under the arm tightened and loosened the skin, and changed the sound of the drum – hence ‘talking’.
Drums were used in Africa as part of music, storytelling, and general festivities. They were also used as a form of communication to send messages. This use of drums was feared by European planters, since their beatings might be used to signal the start of a rebellion.
© National Museums Liverpool
Accession reference: National Museums Liverpool, Ethnology Collection 65
Themes
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Africa before Transatlantic Enslavement
The history of Africa and African people does not begin nor end with transatlantic slavery. Understand what Africa was like and what the continent lost as a result of the trade.
Background Reading
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The Lost Libraries Of Timbuktu
Until recently, many commentators on Africa claimed that African societies had no tradition of writing. With the rediscovery of ancient manuscript collections, some dating back to the 8th century AD, this perception is changing.
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Introduction To Various African Kingdoms