Slit gong, about 1940, 23 x 13 3/4 x 87 3/8 in. ( x x cm), Wood, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20th century, Why would this elegant instrument sometimes be called a 'talking drum'' Technically speaking, it’s not a drum—it has no membrane, the sound emanating instead from a narrow slit in the hollowed-out center. But slit gongs were used to communicate, as the sides of the instrument were made of slightly different thicknesses to produce two different pitches—a high tone and a low tone—when struck by mallets or bare hands.

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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
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Model Released: No

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