Garamut drums are iconic musical instruments from the Sepik/Ramu river region. They are carved from a tree trunk hollowed out via the narrow slit along the top to create the resonating chamber.
They are pounded with blunt sticks to create complex rhythms, which act as a communicative but codified language capable of transmitting information over many kilometres between villages to announce visitors, a person’s death, and invitations to festivities or to issue warnings.

The deeply carved sides have a strong sense of precision in their bilateral symmetry and feature spirit faces, fish, frogs, human figures and water currents. Each tableau is anchored by fish motifs that balance the design across the length of the drum.

At each end are handle-lugs that represent protective clan ancestors with the characteristic long, beak-like noses and conical headdresses of the lower Sepik/Ramu region. In a similar manner to masks and figures in this region, each drum is thought of as an individual named spirit being with a soul and personality.

Kayan village, near the mouth of the Ramu River, was a traditional centre for garamut drum manufacture. While this garamut drum is representative of drums found in a wide area below Angoram village down to the mouth of the Sepik River, and from the Murik Lakes to the Bogia coast and offshore islands, this particular drum probably comes from the lower reaches of the Ramu River between Buliwa village on the main river and Bosmun village on the smaller Mburr River.

Garamut drums are iconic musical instruments from the Sepik/Ramu river region. They are carved from a tree trunk hollowed out via the narrow slit along the top to create the resonating chamber.
They are pounded with blunt sticks to create complex rhythms, which act as a communicative but codified language capable of transmitting information over many kilometres between villages to announce visitors, a person’s death, and invitations to festivities or to issue warnings.

The deeply carved sides have a strong sense of precision in their bilateral symmetry and feature spirit faces, fish, frogs, human figures and water currents. Each tableau is anchored by fish motifs that balance the design across the length of the drum.

At each end are handle-lugs that represent protective clan ancestors with the characteristic long, beak-like noses and conical headdresses of the lower Sepik/Ramu region. In a similar manner to masks and figures in this region, each drum is thought of as an individual named spirit being with a soul and personality.

Kayan village, near the mouth of the Ramu River, was a traditional centre for garamut drum manufacture. While this garamut drum is representative of drums found in a wide area below Angoram village down to the mouth of the Sepik River, and from the Murik Lakes to the Bogia coast and offshore islands, this particular drum probably comes from the lower reaches of the Ramu River between Buliwa village on the main river and Bosmun village on the smaller Mburr River.