Probably there were no finer made drums in South Pacific than those from the Austral Islands. In the earliest collections of ethnic treasures are found intricately carved Drums from the Australs. The bulk of these Classic Ceremonial Drums are thought to have been made in Raivavae (Raivavai) however it seems probable that Tubuai and Rurutu were also producing these Drums, which became highly prized articles of trade. Today you cannot find a single remaining example of these drums in the Austral Islands... more astonishing is the fact that in Tubuai where carved spears, drums and paddles were once common household items, there remains not a single vestige. In fact with the single exception of a crudely carved post from a door conserved in the Tahiti Musee Des Iles we do not even know what Tubuai carving looks like. It is quite possible that some drums now identified as being from Raivavae are in fact from Tubuai or Rurutu, however as we do not have a single drum of certain Tubuai provenance (or Rurutu Provenance), the identification of such drums within those of uncertain provenance remains a daunting challenge.
In 1777 the Artist who accompanied Cooks third Voyage, John Webber attended a "Ceremony of a Human Sacrifice" and from his drawings of that occasion can be identified drums which appear to be of the Austral Type.
Thus there is now speculation that Austral drums were being traded even in the pre contact period... which then implies that drums now attributed to or collected in Tahiti may also be in fact Austral Drums. Curiously there are two such drums on display in The Trinity College, Dublin, these drums are thought to have been collected by Cook however the actual provenance remains uncertain.
Dublin Drums
I have therefore collected here photos of a few specimens which will serve those who want to further research this issue. Click on the images to see enlargements and carving details. If you have photos of Austral drums which you would like to share I will gladly add them to this page. I must thank Rhys Richards for his help with photos and advice while researching the Austral Drums
