building drums cosmological diagrams
indigenous architecture | drums by michael leeb
ojibwa drums drum construction tipi form material culture
Although indigenous hand drums are not considered a conventional form of architecture since they lack an inhabitable space, the design of drums often references indigenous forms of architecture such as tipis and buffalo pounds not only in terms of the geometry of their design or structure, but also symbolically and in their shared material culture. Most drum frames are either circular (not unlike tipis and medicine wheels) or octagonal (as are buffalo pounds). Similarities in the materials used are also noteworthy – buffalo and moose hide, wood and sinew for lacing. While the material culture and consequently the use of these materials is the same in many instances, some materials are used differently, for example drum frames are often made of laminated wood or small pieces of wood cut at 45 degree angles to form an octagonal shape. Furthermore, while the hides used for drums and tipis are from the same species of animals they are prepared differently; drums use raw hide while tipis traditionally used several smoked, soft hides for the tipi cover. Perhaps of most interest are the symbolic references or structural analogies that can be made between drums and indigenous forms of architecture. The design and number of ties or strings at the back of the drum represent tipi poles — often only four ties are used in a cross pattern that refers to the four foundation poles used by some indigenous peoples of the western Plains region. Another example is that the interior of the drum (the back) shows a small scale perspective of the interior of a tipi when looking upwards. This effect is developed when additional ties are used to pull the rawhide tight at the back of the drum, in the way that additional tipi poles amplify the four foundation poles. Both tipi covers and indigenous drums are occasionally painted with images and depending on the relative opacity or transparency of the hides used, both drums and tipis are luminescent when lit from within.Both tipis and drums share similar characteristics as two related structures that have a performance art quality. These analogies provide an indigenous reference point and structural framework for my own drum-making and most recently a sculpture entitled Sun Drum, based on the traditional Ojibwa dance drum or big drum that uses either a half-barrel or wooden wash tub as a drum frame. The relationship between drums, tipis and other types of indigenous architecture is in design, material culture and symbolic form. In this sense drums are a small-scale example of indigenous architecture and design. v
top: A round elk hide drum where the braided sinew lacing is tied to reflect the foundation poles of a tipi. above: Octagonal drum with elk rawhide, red tailed hawk feathers, and red top feathers (pheasant feathers), with glass mini-crow beads.
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On Site review 23 Small Things
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