Nekara or Kettledrum

In the Malay world, the court ensemble or nobat was a symbol of power and legitimacy. Rooted in an Islamite military and royal music tradition, the nobat was considered the primary pusaka or royal heirloom vested with spiritual and royal power. The nobat tradition is mentioned in early Malay literary texts. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals mention the observance of this tradition. The nengkara or nekara, or kettledrum, was considered the principal instrument in the ensemble. The gendang (single or double-sided drum), the serenai (wind instrument like an oboe), and the nafiri (trumpet) were the other instruments that constituted the nobat. These instruments would be performed during royal events, particularly coronation or ascension ceremonies and weddings. This nekara is associated with the history of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, members of which preserved the nobat tradition across generations. Traditionally made of wood, this hemispherical bowl-shaped drum is encased in silver; the drum’s membrane has been removed. The nekara required two musicians, one to carry the drum and the other to play it with rattan strips. It closely resembles the nekara the Sultan of Terengganu acquired in 1917 from the descendants of the Riau-Lingga sultanate. The Terengganu nobat includes three silver drums (a nekara and two gendang) made and gifted by the Dutch in 1885 to the Riau sultanate. Foliate scroll patterns and floral motifs are surface embellishments etched across the circumference of the nekara. The drum has suffered some losses – it is missing its inverted hollow base and the silver rods that would have been placed in the tuning handles. The tuning handles were a unique Dutch addition to the design of the nekara, inspired by military percussion instruments.