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Tzu-fan Bell Set (1-12)

Tags: bell | bronzes | National Palace Museum | Spring and Autumn Period

 

Eastern Chou period, Middle Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC)
Individual heights: 71.2 cm, 66.7 cm, 67.6 cm, 61.7 cm, 44.0 cm, 42.0 cm, 30.5 cm, 28.1 cm 
 
Including a set of eight bells here, each was engraved with an inscription for a total of 132 characters in all. They record how Ch'ung-erh, Duke Wen of Chin, exercised his authority upon his return after spending 19 years in exile as well as the important historical event of the battle of Ch'eng-p'u between the Chin and Ch'u. The person who had the bells made was Tzu-fan, who was Hu Yen, the maternal uncle of Duke Wen of Chin.

Text: Yu Kuo-ching

 
Text and images are provided by National Palace Museum