Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ritual bell

China

Date

late 6th–early 5th century BCE

Medium

Bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This richly adorned bell was originally part of a graduated set. It is of the type po-cheng , one of two popular bell shapes encountered in Eastern Chou dynasty burials. Po-cheng bells have a flat bottom, slightly convex sides, a suspension device often in the form of stylized animals, cast on top, and emit a single tone. The second basic type of bell is called yung-cheng . Both types of bells have an elliptical cross-section--rather than round--and include thirty-six evenly spaced bosses ( mei ) cast into the body. The specific cross-sectional shape and bosses are crucial to the note and tonal qualities of the instrument. The bosses of this beautifully decorated bell are in the form of coiled snakes, and the suspension device is a pair of tigers, entwined with a snake. On the bottom register is an elaborate t'ao-t'ieh mask decorated with scale rows, pointed spirals, and granulation. China, Asia

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