Beaded drum regalia: Drum strap, stick, and bante
Place of Origin: Nigeria
Cultural Group: Yoruba peoples
Materials Used: Leather, glass beads, cloth, wood, velvet
Dimensions: Length (drum strap): 85.5 cm (33.6 in)
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Museum Purchase. X97.29.6a-d

These beaded works form the decorative ensemble for an iyalu or mother drum of the dundun talking drum set played by one of the lead drummers in a ruler’s court. The longest strap with the text “Oba Ewi” probably refers to the oba at Ado Ekiti, one of the rulers from whom Samuel Adesina received many commissions.

Source: Drewal, H., Mason, J. (1998). “Beads, Body, and Soul – Art and Light in the Yoruba Universe”, Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. page 57