Papua New Guinea Musical Instruments Stamps

This post features the Papua New Guinea musical instruments stamps set from 1969. Musical instruments are common on stamps and work especially well for a series of stamps each with a different denomination as they make a visually beautiful set. The use of musical instruments may have several purposes. The instruments can instill pride in the population, help to create a sense of a identity, or celebrate a specific ethnic group. You can see many instrument stamp sets on this site, including articles about sets from Laos, Gabon, and El Salvador. In the case of Papua New Guinea, the selection celebrates traditional instruments of the indigenous peoples of the country.

The Stamps

The set of four stamps was released on October 10, 1969. It features a set of rattles on the 5 cent stamp, a slit drum on the 10 cent stamp, a set of panpipes on the 25 cent stamp, and the kundu drum on the 30 cent drum. The last instrument is the most important, as the kundu drum is a significant symbol of the country and appears in many other guises. It even appears on some of PNG’s currency. For more information about the musical instruments of PNG check ou this blog.

The first instrument is a rattle, named tareko on the postage stamp. Essentially, it is a group of shells that are sewn together on a band that can then be tied around the leg. When a performer dances the shells rattle together to create a sound. The instrument accentuates the movement of the dance. Similar types of rattles are in use all around the world.

Slit Drum

The second stamp in the series depicts an instrument made from a single hollowed out log. Known as a slit drum, the instrument does not have a skin head and is not technically a drum. When wooden mallets hit the mouth of the slit, the entire body vibrates to create sound, similar to a bell or gong. To make the drum, a variety of techniques are used to hollow out the log including carving and using hot coals to burn the inside. Intricate geometric designs or animals often decorate the outside of these instruments.

Panpipes

The 25 cent denomination stamp displays a set of panpipes. The instrument is made of a set of bamboo pipes or other kind of reed. The pipes are cut to different lengths and tied together in order to create set of various different pitches. The musician blows across the top edge of the pipes to create a whistle sound. To create a melody, the player blows into the different pipes. Panpipes are traditional instruments that are in use around the world.

Kundu drums

The final stamp features the kundu drum. The hourglass-shaped drum is hollow with an opening at either end and a waist in the middle. Many examples include an integral handle. Both openings have lizard or snake skin heads. The drums often feature wonderful carvings with patterns and figures that have significance to a particular group or local tradition.

The drums are common, though not universal, among the many culture of Papua New Guinea. It is such an important instrument in PNG, that it appears on both the coat-of-arms as well as featured on the currency.

Check out this video showing a traditional craftsman making a kundu drum.