Bronze bell
- Audio guide stop: 625
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Eastern Zhou dynasty
- Made in: China
- Date: 5thC BC (circa)
- Object type: bell
- Materials: bronze
- Museum number: 1965,0612.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a bronze bell from the Eastern Zhou dynasty, dating back to around the fifth century BC. Hailing from the region of Shanxi in China, this bell is a remarkable example of the sophisticated craftsmanship of the Jin state. Its lowest register is adorned with a prominent taotie face—mythical monster designs—flanking the bell's mouth. Two large, scaly dragons sprout from the center of the face, while the surrounding border features an array of imaginative, hybrid beasts.
The bell's surface is further embellished with three horizontal rows of bosses—small coiled creatures—each containing a bird possibly from the duck family. The flat top of the bell features a beautifully cast pair of dragons forming a loop handle. This would have been used to suspend the bell.
These bells, known as bo or niu zhong, often accompanied other bells in elaborate ensembles used for ritual or musical purposes, suggesting this piece was once part of a grand collection.
See it in person
Bronze bell is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 625, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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