Pātē (slit drum)

This wooden tokere-tangarongaro (medium slit drum) was made in the Cook Islands. In other parts of the Cook Islands, tokere (slit drums) are called pate.

Details
This drum is unusual for the density of the carved decoration across its surface. It is also sitting on two very low stands that appear to have been made to support the drum for display rather than playing. Usually the drum would have been played by someone seated cross-legged on the ground, which is not the way Cook Island drums are normally played today.

Three types of tokere
When a tini ka'ara (drum ensemble) is being played, the sound of the tokere form part of the main rhythm or beat. When accompanying dance performances, the tokere rhythms direct body and hand movements. In a tini ka'ara there are three different types of tokere: tokere-taki or tokere-'atupaka (largest slit drum), tokere-tangarongaro (medium slit drum), and tokere-mamaiti (smallest slit drum). The smaller the drum, the higher the pitch. Tokere-taki are used in villages to call people to church or to 'uipa'anga (meetings).

Construction
A tokere is made by cutting a hardwood branch or tree trunk and removing the bark. A number of holes are drilled in a straight line, then the bits between them are chiselled out to form a long opening. The most important part of the process is working out how much wood should be hollowed out from the centre slit as this, along with the shape of the opening, determines how high or low the pitch of the drum will be.

Acquisition History
The drum was originally purchased by Jill Reynolds during an extended stay in the Cook Islands in the mid to late twentieth century. It was later acquired by Te Papa through the David White Gallery in Wellington.