The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Drum (ngoma)

by 1928

Africa, Eastern Africa, unknown maker

Wood, rawhide, and plant fiber
Diameter: 31.2 cm (12 5/16 in.); Overall: 40 cm (15 3/4 in.)
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House 1929.343
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Paul Travis purchased this piece in Kampala, Uganda, shortly after receiving a telegram informing him that the African Art Sponsors and the Gilpin Players had commissioned him to collect African works with money they raised.

Description

This musical instrument takes its name ngoma from the Kongo language word for "drum." Specialized craftspeople often made these drums. The wooden base is hollow and covered with a first hide, then a second one held tight by plant fibers. This allows the sound to resonate when just the first membrane is struck. In Uganda, drums contain a ritual "heart" known only to its maker, which helps to imbue it with power. In contrast with royal drums (mpango), this instrument is not considered sacred. The sounds from men striking drums could be used as a kind of communication or as music in a performance setting.
  • 1928
    Purchased by Paul Travis on behalf of the African Art Sponsors and the Gilpin Players in Kampala, Uganda
    1928
    The African Art Sponsors and the Gilpin Players
    1929–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art by Gift
    Provenance Footnotes
    1 Boger, Ann C et al. Paul B. Travis Africa 1927-1928. Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. P. 24, 44It appears on a checklist of "African Material" circa 1928 as part of a group of five drums from Uganda. The place of collection is obscured by torn paper. Archives of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
    2 12/3/1928 letter to the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History from Hazel Mountain Walker (Gilpin Players, president) and Harry E. Davis (African Art Sponsors, president) reproduced on p. 54 of Adams, Henry et al. Paul Travis 1891-1975. Cleveland Artists Foundation, 2001.
  • Paul Travis: Africa, 1927-1928. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 2, 1982-January 2, 1983).
    African Art. Karamu House, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 1-May 30, 1960).
  • {{cite web|title=Drum (ngoma)|url=false|author=|year=by 1928|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1929.343