Akan Drum

The Akantrommel (English Akan drum ) is a drum probably in West Africa produced on the territory of modern Ghana by the people of Akan, which is now kept in the British Museum. It is believed that they in the course of the slave trade to North America, in the West - Virginia came. It is considered the oldest African-American exhibition of the museum and is probably the oldest surviving drum Africa. It also represents the tension between the three continents.

This musical instrument is one of the certain of the BBC top 100 art objects in the world (A History of the World in 100 Objects).

Description

The musical instrument was made from two types of wood. The carved body is made of Cordia africana ( Sudan teak). At holders of Baphia - wood plant fibers are attached, with which a deerskin stretched over the drum.

History

The exact reason why was the drum on a slave ship to travel to the West is no longer observed. It is believed that she was taken from either a crew member or a higher standing personality among the slaves on board. It is commonly believed that it was first used yet to tribal dances. Between 1730 and 1745 the instrument of a certain Reverend Mr. Clerk was discovered and passed on to Hans Sloane, an English scientist, explorer and passionate collectors. This had seen in Jamaica play slaves on such drums and took some of these artifacts per se. But he assumed that they were manufactured locally his. He described it incorrectly carved [ ... ] as a drum from a hollowed-out tree. Parts of Sloane's collection, especially his library later formed the foundation of the British Museum.

Until 1906 it was found that both the definition and the description Sloane were wrong. As grateful as we are today about this early cross-cultural music instrument had to be re-opened her past. Using the expertise of scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, the origin of the drum could be determined in the 1970s. One of the types of wood used, Sudan Teak ( cordia africana) occurs only in Africa and is an evidence for the African origin of Akantrommel.