Aje

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Hourglass Drum

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The drums known as aje were played by women, a great exception in Oceania. With their drum music they accompanied the dances of the men, which were performed on special occasions. In return, the women received gifts (usually food) as recognition. Dances and music represented the strength of men before or after a war. The covering of this drum is made from a shark's stomach.
The object comes from Eugen Brandeis' collection, who was stationed on the island of Jaluit as governor for the German colonial government from 1898 until 1906. However, most of this ethnographic collection donated to the museum was collected by his wife Antonie Brandeis.

Data Provider
Museen Freiburg Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Trommel
Dimensions
Height: 610.0 mm
Diameter: 190.0 mm
Material/Technique
Skin, Wood
Current location
Museum Natur und Mensch
Inventory number
AI/2163
Related object(s)

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    before 1900
  • Change of legal title:
    Donation
    when
    22.11.1901
    who
    Brandeis, Eugen - Former Possessors
  • Change of physical control or legal title
    where
    Oceania (location/origin)
    Micronesia (location/origin)
    Marshall Islands (location/origin)
    who
    Brandeis, Antonie - Collectors
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Oceania
Provenance
Donation from Eugen Brandeis (Imperial Governor of the Marshall Islands) November 1901, collected by Antonie Brandeis (Jaluit) /Donated by Eugen Brandeis (Imperial Governor of the Marshall Islands) November 1901, collected by Antonie Brandeis (Jaluit)

Object no. 43 (Object list Antonie Brandeis, 2nd consignment 1901, SAF C3/241/2): "Old drum. Drum. Shark's stomach. Formerly used to accompany the dances, now no longer available". The drum was supposed to be sent with the first shipment in the spring of 1900, but the stringing was missing ("Unfortunately, the drum could not be included in the parcel, as it was not was not able to obtain a fish skin or shark's stomach to cover it. to get a fish skin or shark gizzard to cover it. I hope to send it later" ... "The household goods used to include a drum carved from the trunk of a breadfruit tree carved from the trunk of a breadfruit tree [drum to be forwarded] which was covered with a fish skin or shark's stomach. Today the nocturnal dances of the dances have completely disappeared as the missionaries forbid them, and the drum the drum belongs to the rarities." Source: Commentary by Antonie Brandeis on the 1st consignment, SAF D.Sm 35/1) It is not known from whom the collector the collector acquired the object.

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC0 1.0 DEED

Related objects

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