Form Submission: Participation Entry
Research Day Entry
Manufacturing Tradition: Materials, Methods and Change amongst Gamelan Makers of Central Java
Gamelan is percussive music ensemble from Indonesia dominated by bronze gongs and metallophones. Gamelan making is traditional in one sense, because techniques such as the manual forging of bronze gongs over fires-have remained relatively constant over centuries. However, today’s gamelan makers must respond to notable political, environmental and social challenges. The materiality of gamelan allows us to explore artisanal relationships with modernity. Teak wood is carved into ornate frames and racks, hardwood timber from Kalimantan is transformed into wooden xylophones, and tin from Sumatra is mixed with copper salvaged from buildings to make bronze gongs. Gamelan makers rely both on locally-available natural resources and waste products of the industrial economy. However, resource over-extraction and the increased bureaucratic presence of the Indonesian state can create a dynamic tension where modernity both provides and limits the economic well-being and cultural expression of gamelan artisans.