Aje
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.
Cataloguing data
is related to : I/0181
is related to : IV/0403
is related to : IV/3097
is related to : V/0252
is related to : V/1801
Provenance and sources
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.