Saron

Saron metallophone of Bali and Java, first depicted at Borobudur (ca. 800). In modern sarons the bars are set above a wooden trough resonator, frequently carved to resemble a dragon. They are usually of bronze, rarely of iron. Sometimes the larger ones are bossed; those of bronze are slightly arched on top. There exist 3 1-oct. sarons and 1 multioct. saron. Those of a single-oct. compass nearly always have 7 bars in pelog, and 6, 7, or 8 in slendro. See also: chelepita, chente, dempling…