For centuries, the art of Indonesian bronze forgery was
enshrouded in magic and secrecy. Since the onset of mass tourism,
however, this specialized processes has become more accessible
and been fairly widely documented. According to recent archaeological
evidence, the Balinese may have inherited this age-old art
from the smiths of Central Java as early as the 12th century.
The large gongs, however, have always been imported from Java
where labour is cheaper.
Bronze is an alloy and in the Indonesian gong smith tradition,
a mixture of copper and tin at a ratio of thirty to ten is
preferred. This ratio guarantees that the resulting alloy
is malleable enough for heavy-duty forging, resistant enough
to years of gamelan playing, and capable of producing a pure
note when struck.
Before any gamelan is crafted, a Balinese gong smith will
choose and auspicious day – this may be a full moon
or a particular convergence of ‘good days’ on
the Hindu saka calendar. Once the date is set and special
offerings made, the metals are selected, weighed and smelted
for a specified duration in a crucible over a wood fire (modern
smiths now opt for gas) to form the alloy Balinese call kerawang.
The molten liquid is then poured into a mould to create the
desired shape. This mixture is then allowed to cool and taken
out of the mould. Now it is hammered and reheated to forge
its final shape. For a gong, several men may be needed to
pummel the red-hot metal into shape. To condense the molecules
in the alloy, it is then quenched in cool water. After this
it is filed and, in the case of a key, a cymbal or a pot,
holes are bored so the instrument can later be strung over
the wooden cases. It’s time now for the tuning process.
How are the instruments tuned? Find out in the next edition
of Kulture Kid…
Copyright@ Kulture Kid 2006
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