| Description |
Gong is one of the instruments in the Pin Peat ensemble. Nowadays, there are only a few people who know how to do it. It is uncommon to see leftovers gong for sale, as each unit requires a considerable amount of capital. So, if a costumer wants to get a gong, he/she has to make a deposit first. The method of making gong described here is the way of the villagers of Trapeang Arak, Ov Lek commune, Ang Snoul district, Kandal province.
Nowadays, some modern tools are used to make Gong to save time and labor. For example, in the past people use “Snob Dai, a manual pump” to pump in air to make fire, but now they use an electric fan instead. In addition, for a polishing process, people also use a machine. To produce Gong requires at least three people because during Gong pounding, three people are needed. Gong smith used to buy old metals containing copper and tin from the market. The percentage of copper was 70 to 73 percent, and tin 27 to 30 percent. If the mixture is not mixed properly, the metal will crack. After metals are properly weighed, it will be burned in Kulapheach vessel called "Baw" and then poured into a molded plate. Then the metal is burned again until it soft enough to pound. Gong is made in different sizes and it needed to be arranged in number chronological order. After that, Gong makers re-burn some other metal plates to make Gong’s stand. When that is the case, burn it and pound it on a flat board called “Kda Dos”, so that the middle part of the gong is fatten, called (Dos Gong). Not only that, they immediately burn it again to make it soft enough and make the legs a little smaller than the upper surface (called an umbrella). When all this is done, they burn the fruit and put it in a jar with vinegar. So far, we have seen that the work of each step is to burn the gong several times to get the right shape. But it is still not finished, because you have to take the fruit that comes out in the right shape and polish it. In the past, traditional techniques were required that required the use of a variety of materials, but today it is easier to use a polishing machine.
Gong making process is “a real workmanship” that requires special skills and talents. That is why at least on the first day of the lunar month, Vishnu is offered at the head of the pump and the stove. The art of making gongs is an important intangible heritage that can last for a long time as long as those who have the skills can live in this profession properly. Otherwise, it may be lost in the future.
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