African God/Mask/Mythology

May 4, 2005 1:34 AM

I have an african djembe drum which I am quite fond of. It has always bothered me, however, that the face burnt into it has no meaning to me. (aside from the fact that it looks really cool.) I was wondering if anyone could identify it or the meaning of it, or at least tell me that is impossible. (Bad MS-Paint version of the image inside)

Click here to see my version of it. Realize, I have no artistic skill, I can barely manage stick figures. The drum actually looks decent, so when you look at what I did, the actual face is more symetrical. The eyes are closer together, the horns (they come out the outside, point up and down) look identical, and the mouth parts are closer together, the nose does not look retarded) But that is to give you a general idea. Does the image give any clues to the origin? (Sorry, don't have a digital camera which would remove my artistic retardation from the equation)

posted by furiousxgeorge to media & arts (4 comments total)

Looks like a typical ceremonial mask face to me. It may not really "be" anyone in particular. But I'm sure someone else knows better.
posted by Witty at 5:29 PM on May 4, 2005

I also vote generic ceremonial mask too (I spent some time in Africa playing drums, but did not become an expert in the visual arts).

I'll bet it's probably just some random face that the drummaker carved on there because he thought it was something the tourists would dig, and there's really nothing more to it.

However, if it does have some ceremonial meaning, you'd probably be best served by figuring out where it was made and checking around for some history and mythology of the region. It might have a stamp or brand (in the "cattle brand" sense) on it somewhere that identifies the country of origin; check inside, too, to the extent that you can see up there.

If it is significant at all, from my limited experience I doubt it represents a certain person at all, and probably something more along the lines of a mythical archetype.

Oh, and a tuning tip: if it starts to drop in pitch or just sound kind of "off", heat up the head in the sun or in front of a fire. It shound have a deep "thump" when you strike it near the center with a palm, but also a nice clear "ping" when you strike with a finger or two near the rim.
posted by rkent at 9:11 PM on May 4, 2005

If you are not happy with the image, you might be able to sand it off. I know that it is possible with some drum heads. If it's really buggin you, you might try sanding a small, inconspicuous area of the design to see if it's feasible. It may not be. When I heard about this technique it was in relation to sanding a small logo off a banjo head.
posted by wsg at 1:55 AM on May 5, 2005

Djembes are used for many different ceremonies IFAIK. If this face has any particular cultural meaning it will be specific to a certain tribe. I would agree that it is likely a tourist attracting addition, as most of the 'real' African djembes (as played by Famadou Konate, Mamady Keita, Seckou Keita) are without carving.
The djembe trade has ballooned over the past 20 years, driven by the diaspora of West Africans to Europe and the States. This book has a comprehensive history of the djembe, as well as tuning advice.

There are ceremonial drums which have cultural significance in many cultures. I would suggest that selling them to tourists would be akin to a synagogue selling its Torah. Unlikely to happen, although you may be able to get a copy or a item carrying the same symbolism/meaning.
posted by asok at 4:37 AM on May 5, 2005