Drum Item Number: 3326/25 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Three-legged drum. Cylindrical body, tapering in slightly toward a raised band horizontal around the drum. The base has three feet. The animal hide with fur is stretched across the end and fits over sticks inserted in the wood. A thin band of animal skin is woven around the wood pegs in a zigzag pattern to hold the skin in place.

History Of Use

Ìpèsè (three-legged drum) used during Ifá, a divination ceremony. The drum is representative of the invisible Àyàn deity, because drums are made out of trees that behave in human ways, so it is dignified in human terms. The Yoruba people believe it has kindred spirits, which they honor through drum playing.