Kuba artists are renowned for their ability to create captivating visual puns. In the case of this drum, the artist carved a hand as part of its handle. Not only would a hand grab the handle to carry this instrument to occasions where it was to play, but the hand of a drummer would also strike its surface to release its sound. In Kuba arts, hands also serve as symbols of conquest and power. Carved in low relief around the hand motif are the interlocking geometric patterns characteristic of the arts from Kuba and related communities.