Gong

[A. G. Maisey]

Here is something that is so rare that it is probably the only one in existence.

It is part of a musical instrument from a minor court in Central Jawa. I will not name the court.

This particular court was prone to create gamelan gongs (orchestras) using various types of materials for the instruments. This was pre-WWII, in the colonial days.

After WWII the following generations failed very, very badly to maintain their heritage and most of the unusual musical instruments, as well as carriages and a whole heap of other things fell into disrepair and slowly rotted and rusted away.

This little banana shaped instrument was saved from turning into rust.

It would have been a note from a single instrument of the metallophone type, and played by striking with a mallet.