Kundu (drum)

Kundu is Papuan general name used for drum. It is an hour glass shaped drum made of wood with a snake's skin as membrane. A handle is placed on the narrowest part of the drum. Often, the kundu is decorated with animal figures on its edges. The handle is generally the most beautiful part decorated (openwork style). Kundu is used in number of ways for religious or civilian occasions. For the Papuans, the sound of the Kundu is the voice of the ancestors. This concept is common in whole Oceanian world.

The sizes of a kundu drum are very variable. Some can be played with one finger, where others are as tall as man.

This drum is so typical of Papua New Guinea that it appears on the country's coat of arms.

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