Slit drums in Ambrym Island

In Vanuatu, a slit drum is a musical instrument that is traditionally played by men of high rank.

In most islands of Vanuatu, the drum has little to no decoration, and is played horizontally on the ground. On the island of Ambrym though, such drums stand vertically on the ground; they are decorated with one or several faces with disk eyes, representing ancestral figures; such a figure is called atingting kon. The distinctive shape of these Ambrym drums has made them iconic of Vanuatu as a whole. They are frequently found in museums around the world, represented on Vanuatu banknotes, and featured in the tourism industry.