Kempul from the Gamelan Digul

A set of 3 iron kempul keys [one bossed, two unbossed] strung over the sound box in a wooden frame, from the Gamelan Digul. It was made in 1926 from any materials at hand by Javanese anti-colonial prisoners in a Dutch prison camp in West Irian (now Papua New Guinea). Unlike the kempul in a standard gamelan orchestra, which consist of a set of hanging gongs, the player simulates the kempul sounds by beating the three metal keys with mallets (not shown). Ethno-lingual group: Central Javanese. Photo: Annette Bowie, 2014.