bell BM-1844-0309.1

Period:Qing dynasty Production date:1839
Materials:bronze
Technique:
Subjects:dragon


Description:
Bronze temple bell.
IMG


Comments:Bronze temple bellChina, Zhejiang province, Ningbo-ShaoxingQing dynasty, dated AD 1839The officials Zhou Yan and Shu Tianshou of theNingbo-Shaoxing district in China’s southeasternprovince of Zhejiang ordered this bell for a temple.The inscription also names the many women whocontributed to the cost of the bell’s casting andlists their prayers. Making donations to templeswas a common way for believers to accumulatemerit and ensure favourable rebirth. The bell’sside is inscribed with the Usnisa Vijaya DharaniSutra. Translated into Chinese in about 700, thistext became one of the most popular sacred textsamong Chinese Buddhists.Given by Queen VictoriaAsia 1844,0309.1 The bell was ordered in the 19th year of Daoguang (AD 1839) by the officials Zhou Yan and Shu Tianshou of the Ningbo-Shaoxing district. It was cast by Yi Dongmy outside the Changan Gate, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province.Bronze bellsMassive bronze bells were hung in temples and city bell towers. They announced the beginning of the day with 108 chimes, which represented the ‘108 sins’ to be expiated.Their form is derived from archaic bronze bells of the late Eastern Zhou period (6th-3rd centuries BC) on which ritual music was performed. Most Chinese bells lack a clapper and are struck on the exterior, the smaller ones with rods and the larger with wooden rams suspended from doubled ropes.