Bali & Lombok Island, Indonesia
Balinese & Lombok

Wood, reed, metal, pigment
Prior to 1900s
Length: 17 inches
Aerophones – Wind Instruments Proper – Reedpipe

A traditional Balinese double reed shawm known as the Terompet called ‘pereret,’ (prérét).  It is found in the southwest coast of Bali, Indonesia, in the Jembrana Regency and on the Lombok Island.  It is made of wood carved in a conical tube shape somewhat like a trumpet.  Affixed to the top of the wooden bell is a hand carved naga.  This vintage ‘pereret’ has five small finger holes and four metal bands around the wooden body to prevent it from splitting.  At the opposite end is a small metal conical tube with a large metal pirouette towards the end that curves up on each side as a cheek support during circular breathing.  The end of the tube is for inserting the ‘palmleaf’ double reed.  The ‘pereret’ accompanies various rituals such as the cultural tradition of Sewo Gatti art (similar to the art Arja), and possibly pencak silat, an indigenous ‘martial arts.’

Today in Balinese culture, Indonesia, the nāga is depicted as a crowned, giant, magical serpent, sometimes winged. It was derived and influenced by the Shiva-Hinduism tradition, combined with the native animism tradition of sacred serpents. In the Hindu language of Sanskrit, the term nāga literally means snake, but in Bali and Java during the Javanese Hindu-Buddhist maritime empire in Southeast Asia (1293 to circa 1527), it was commonly referred to as a serpent deity, associated with water and fertility.

Reference:  ‘Shawms Around the World’; Jeremy Montagu; Hataf Segol Publications. 2019;  https://traditionalmusical.blogspot.com/2015/03/pareret-traditional-musical-instruments.html;