Gathering

In West African tradition, a djembe, or rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drum, is to be played with bare hands and with a purpose; the name stems from the saying, Anke djé, anke bé, which translates to 'everyone gather together in peace.' Ghanaian artisan Christopher Nyasafo hand carves this mini djembe drum's base from the hardwood of a tweneboa tree and covers it with dried goat skin leather before fitting cotton-wrapped iron rod rings to the drum's mouth. The artisan then paints the drum green and yellow, and lays knit black nylon cord in an elegant design all around its surface.