Seven village metal?

[David]

Originally Posted by Pusaka

A. G. Maisey,did they have a specific name for that bronze made of 8metals or did they just call it bronze?

I had also read that gamelan instruments are just made from bronze however I also know that people also consider the gamelan instruments in the royal courts to have a superior sound.

Master Tjokorda Raka Swastika is of the Ubud Royal family so when he said that the gamelan instruments were made from Panca Datu perhaps he was specifically talking about the instruments in the possession of the royal courts or perhaps this is unique to Bali?

While i would suspect that gamelan made specifically for royal courts would indeed have superior sound i am somewhat doubtful that that sound is the product of gold content specifically, but rather due to those instruments being made by a superior craftsman. I would imagine that gold is added to the mix in these cases more for it's symbolic importance than an sonic one.