Bell (Niu Zhong) (Translation)
蟠龍紋鈕鐘 春秋前期 (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Music was an integral part of ritual ceremonies and royal banquets during the Zhou dynasty. Bells with hangers were used as percussion instruments in the 6th century. This bell was either played as a solo instrument or as one of a set of bells cast in different sizes to create a complete musical scale. During the performance, the bell would be suspended on a wooden rack. A player would use one or two wooden mallets to strike the bells, producing solemn yet beautiful music.
Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 BC)
None
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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