Quantitative analysis of the kowangan resonator in the bundengan musical instrument

This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the kowangan, a shield-shaped resonator used in the bundengan, a bamboo-based musical instrument from Indonesia. The kowangan resonator is made from a woven lattice of bamboo splits, covered with layers of bamboo sheaths, and then secured with palm sugar fibers. To gain insight into how this resonator works, it is required to first determine the shape of the resonator. Previously, we have developed a computational model of the resonator shape, where the distribution of curvatures in the resonator surface is driven by the minimization of potential bending energy in the woven lattice of bamboo splits. In the present study, we report the latest development in this work, where we have designed and built an optical imaging setup to measure the actual shape of a real kowangan resonator. Our measurement data allows for further improvements on our computational model, and consequently a deeper insight into the physics of the kowangan. The ultimate aim of this study is to build a full virtual prototype, not only of the kowangan resonator, but also of the whole bundengan instrument, which will be useful for the conservation and documentation of this endangered cultural heritage.