Moon of Pejeng, Bronze age drum at Pura Penataran Sasih Temple, Indonesia
The Moon of Pejeng is a large bronze kettle drum housed in a high pavilion at the rear of Pura Penataran Sasih temple in Bali. The entire piece was cast as one solid form, which makes it a remarkable feat of metalworking from its time.
The drum was made by the Dong Son people around 300 BC during the Bronze Age of Southeast Asia. It demonstrates the advanced metalworking skills that existed in these ancient cultures.
The drum connects to early rice farming rituals practiced in the surrounding valleys and represents how bronze played a role in religious ceremonies. It shows what mattered to farming communities in ancient Bali beyond daily survival.
The drum sits in a raised pavilion that stands out in the temple layout, making it straightforward to locate. Plan to spend time examining the surface and details up close, as the craftsmanship rewards careful observation.
Europeans first documented this drum in writing in the early 1700s, long after it had already become an important object in Balinese culture. This reflects how ancient local knowledge sometimes enters global awareness through outside sources.
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