China, Shaanxi province, Meixian, Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–771 BCE) / c. 800–700 BCE
Bell (Lai Zhong)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Bell (Lai Zhong) as metalwork (China, Shaanxi province, Meixian, Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–771 BCE) · c. 800–700 BCE).
The technical sophistication of the unusual lens-shaped cavity allowed the bell to produce two different tones.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as bronze.
The museum's collection notes: In ancient China, music and ritual had political significance and were linked inseparably to the power of states. During the Zhou dynasty, bronze bells were made in sets of eight to sixty bells. This bell is the second largest from a set of eight. This bell bears an inscription of 118 characters about its owner, Lai, and why it was cast. Lai's ancestors dutifully served the Western Zhou royal court, and he was granted a hereditary position by the "Son of Heaven" (the ruler). To express filial piety, Lai commissioned a set of bells as an offering to his father, Gongshu, in the hope that they would be forever treasured by future generations. Th
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtBell (Lai Zhong)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.