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"Baby" slit-gong

The slit-gong (atingting) plays a social role in the life of the Ambrym people.
For the men in Ambryms society, the most important factor in their lives is prestige and improving their status by buying themselves into the fourteen successive grades of the mangke. Each of the higher grades corresponds to a certain gong rhythm, played when a person is inaugurated into a certain grade, and in the ritual of their death.

It is said that most of the baby slit-gongs belong to a large atingting. Every slit-gong has a characteristic individual facial expression. Although this baby slit-gong comes from a large collection with several big atingtings I am afraid that I don’t know who the father is!


Wooden slit-drum, atingting
Bread-fruit tree
North Ambrym, Melanesia
About mid 20th century, h. 1.60 cm
Provenance: private Dutch/New Zealand collection
Price on request
"Baby" slit-gong