Vintage African Berber Moroccan Adufe Square Leather Drum Instrument 10"

Description

Vintage Berber / Moroccan adufe or square frame drum. This double sided drum is fashioned of a wooden frame covered with stretched leather (usually goat skin), stitched with thick thread and hand painted with a floral motif.

“The adufe is a hand beaten wooden frame drum from Morocco, Africa. The square wooden frame is covered with goat skin and is sewn around the perimeter with thick thread. Rattling elements are sometimes enclosed. The two sides of the adufe are hand-painted with geometric and floral decoration. These drums are of Muslim origin and are played in Iberia, Latin America, and North Africa. They are often used to accompany storytelling, and are held in front of the heart and played with the fingertips.

The Berber people are indigenous to North Africa occupying regions stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. They speak the Berber language belonging to the Afroasiatic family. There are about 25-30 million Berber speakers in North Africa today with the majority found in Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. They are not entirely a homogeneous ethnicity but include a wide range of societies. Berber language, heritage, and history are considered the major unifying factors of the Berber people.

Most of the Berber people living in Morocco account for at least 35% of the population and in Algeria where they form, at least 15% of the population. A sizable number of Berbers are also found in Libya and Tunisia. Most of the North African Arabs also have a Berber ancestry. While the majority of the Berbers are Sunni Muslims, they still incorporate traditional practices in their worship. Traditional practices tend to dominate rural areas where Berbers outnumber the Arabs. Before conversion to Islam, some Berbers had converted to Christianity while others practiced polytheism.”

Condition

Good Overall - Gentle wear

Dimensions

9.5” x 1.375” x 10” (Width x Depth x Height)