Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Java, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautiful and ornate percussion instrument known as a kentongan (pentongan), a type of slit drum / gong. This was signaling and ceremonial gong usually hung in a public hall and used to call people together for worship and meetings, to warn of danger / natural disasters, as well as to scare away evil spirits or demons. The hollow cavity resonates when even lightly tapped, the slit at the front emitting the melodious sound. The mythical being is a Naga, a serpent or dragon creature from Hindu-Buddhist tradition, and a second Naga forms the terminal tip of the suspension hook. Size w/ chain: 29" L x 5" W (73.7 cm x 12.7 cm)

For a similar example from an earlier period, please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website, accession number: 1987.142.30.

Provenance: private Lakewood, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in 2015

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#174691

Hairline fissures and pinhole perforations in neck and body. Softening to finer details. Chips and nicks to high pointed areas. Green patina and dark toning throughout as shown.