Javanese Gender
Donated by the Celeste and Emil Richards Estate 1993-02-07



Javanese gender with ornate panel removed to show bamboo resonators.

The Gender is a small-range metallophone with bronze bars suspended over resonators. Gamelan orchestras from Java and Bali include the gender, xylophones, drums, gongs, and sometimes wind and string instruments. Played by either one or two mallets, its general musical function in the orchestra is to provide a rhythmic and harmonic background with other accompanying instruments, while the bonang (a row of small tuned gongs) performs the primary melodic material. The gender can be tuned to either pelog (seven tones) or slendro (five tones) tunings.

This Javanese gender has six bronze bars mounted over bamboo resonators in an ornate wooden frame. The longest bar is seven inches long by 1 3/4 inches wide, and the shortest bar is 6 3/8 inches long by 1 5/8 inches wide. All of the bars are 1/4 inch thick.

The bamboo resonators range in diameter from about 1 1/8 inches to 1 3/4 inches. The ornate frame is 21 inches in length, 18 inches in height on the end pieces and 11 3/4 inches in height at the center, and the frame has a width of 5 3/4 inches.

The ornate resonator panel, which has been removed to show the interior of the instrument, is decorated with what appears to be a representation of the Buddha known as Vajradhara, the thunderbolt bearer. The symbols for this representation are both the Vajra (thunderbolt) and the ghanta (bell). He is seated in lotus position wearing a crown, dress, and ornaments, with crossed arms holding the vajra and ghanta.

--James A. Strain, PAS Historian, and Otice C. Sircy, PAS Museum Curator and Librarian