Buddhist bell on a stand
A Buddhist “hanging bell” (diaozhong 吊鐘) made of brass, suspended in a carved frame of dark wood. The bell is decorated with a dragon motif with curled flowers and four claws. The dragon is chasing a pearl, which in Buddhist symbolism represents wisdom. Two more stylised dragon figures with glass eyes and scales are depicted on both sides of the wooden frame. A temple is depicted on the upper part of the frame. The decoration of the wooden frame is accented by inset wavy silver stripes. It is accompanied by a wooden striker or clapper, which is also decorated with a wavy silver band. Bells of this type were used in temples as table percussion instruments, for example in the ritual of feeding the hungry ghosts. (HM, NS)
Material description: wood, brass, silver ornament
Manufacturing technique: Japanese woodblock print or Ukiyo-e, brass casting
Dimensions: height: 42 cm, width: 24.5 cm
No. of parts: 3
Current owner: Celje Regional Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1957–1961
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Alma M. Karlin, Thea Schreiber Gammelin, Celje Regional Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: well preserved
History of exhibition: Celje Regional Museum, Celje, 16.10.2019–31.5.2020 (exhibition: Azija me je povsem uročila [Asia Utterly Bewitched Me])
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