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Bells of Ancient China and Beyond

Thousands of years ago, Chinese musicians worked with foundry technicians to cast matched sets of bronze bells of different sizes to produce a range of tones. They developed oval-shaped bells that, depending on where they were struck, produced two distinct pitches with an intentional interval between them. Here you will find bells in the collections of the National Museum of Asian Art.


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Funerary replica (mingqi) of a bell

Funerary replica (mingqi) of a bell

Funerary replica (mingqi) of a bell

Bell

Bell

Bell

Bell

Bell

Benkei And Bell

Bell (niu)

Collar bell with masks (taotie)

Clapper bell (ling) with masks (taotie)

Great Bell Of Chion-In-Temple

Cizhou ware bell

Bell Tower At Night

Altar bell

The bell of Hachiman

Altar bell

Miniature bell

Mirror with Six Bells

Pendant or bell clapper

Morning bell at Mount Jing

Signaling bell (zheng)

Print from a Hana kurabe (set 3): Bronze bell, gong, and cherry petals

Cizhou ware bell


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