Ownership of elaborately carved slit gongs like this one was widespread among chiefs in northern Zaire and the southern part of the Central African Republic. This monumental piece carved in the form of a stylized animal, probably a buffalo, was crafted from a single piece of wood.

Craftsmen form slit gongs by hollowing out a log through a narrow opening. The walls of the hollow chamber vary in thickness. When struck, the thick side emits lower tones, and the thin side produces higher tones. Slit gongs are played with sticks that sometimes have padded ends. Because they produce a wide range of tones, they can mimic speech. People use them to transmit messages or play music.

Courtesy of the National Museum of African Art, museum puchase