The gangsa is a metallophone (percussion with metal bars of varying pitch struck with hammers) used mainly in Gamelan music, the traditional ensemble music of Indonesia. Most gangsas have two octaves with ten keys (don) suspended by ropes and posts over tuned tube resonators (tiying or bumbung). Keys are arranged from largest to smallest. The keys of this gangsa are made from bronze (krawang). Duration of sound intensity and sound quality factors are generally accomplished by damping the vibration of the bar with the fingers of the free hand.

Regarding the history of Gamelan music itself, Hindu and Buddhist literature from the 12th to15th century mention the gamelan ensemble as “an important element of court life,” and there are many artworks from earlier centuries found in temples showing the “importance of metal percussion music” at the time. (“Gangsa · Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection · Grinnell College Libraries” 2019).

Members of the royal family and their courtiers were all expected to learn how to play gamelan and were judged on their musical accomplishments as much as their wisdom, bravery, or physical appearance. The Majapahit Empire (1293-1597) even had a government office in charge of supervising the performing arts, including gamelan. The arts office oversaw the construction of musical instruments, as well as scheduling performances at the court. During this period, inscriptions and bas-reliefs from Bali show that the same types of musical ensembles and instruments were prevalent there as in Java; this is not surprising since both islands were under the control of the Majapahit emperors.

During the Majapahit era, the gong made its appearance in Indonesian gamelan. Likely imported from China, this instrument joined other foreign additions such as stitched-skin drums from India and bowed strings from Arabia in some types of gamelan ensembles. The gong has been the longest-lasting and most influential of these imports. (Grinnell College Libraries).

Note: The term ‘Gangsa’ is also used to identify a  different gong used in traditional music of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera Mountain Range of northern Luzon, Philippines.