A LARGE CAST BRONZE GONG, TAWAK-TAWAKBorneo, 19th century9 x 47 cmFinely decorated on the external surface with three Chinese-style dragons amidst sinuous vegetable scrolls, with a bronze suspension chain.Provenance: the collection of a Dutch noblewoman lived in Indonesia, acquired before 1975.Tawak-tawak gongs were usually used as signal to call people, but it was also attributed to them a magical power against demons; furthermore, they were considered symbols of authority and sometimes used as a kind of currency.A very similar gong is in the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. RV-893-107).