How do Balinese make bronze gamelan instruments?
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 off
