A variety of Edo tubular and tension drums at the House of the Oba, Benin City, Nigeria

The photograph depicts cylindrical drums known as emedo, ewini, ube, as well as tension drums known as idan or uzebu, and, depending the size, ebigba, ikeghe and agbadi. "Single membrane cylindrical drum similar to the one depicted here, can be found among peoples of southern Nigeria. It is always large, and the bottom part of it is either footed or carved into a more or less conical-shaped cocle with a ring at the top of the cone. Ther are two main sizes. One is about 100 cm. in height and 35 cm. in diameter, whereas the other, being similar in diameter, is about 140 cm. high. Drums of this kind are found mainly among the Bini, who call the smaller ones ewini and the larger ones ube. They are exquisitely decorated with carvings representing the Oba." [Ake Norborg, 1992: The Musical Instruments of the Edo-speaking Peoples of South-Western Nigeria. Musikmuseets skrifter 22]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.