Antique Chinese Bronze Bell with Dragon Suspension Hanger

An antique Chinese bronze bell, surmounted with two side by…
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An antique Chinese bronze bell, surmounted with two side by side dragons acting as the suspension hanger, the bell top with horizontal panel enclosing a six character reign mark: 'Da Ming Xuande Nian Zhu' (made during the reign period Xuande of the Great Ming Dynasty 1426-1435), two encircling bands below of various dragons and animals in relief flank a vertical panel enclosing a four character epithet 'Wan Gu Liu Fang' (That you may hand down a unblemished reputation for 10,000 years), the lower scalloped edge with circular bosses, suspended in a wooden stand carved and pierced as two dragons raised upon a platform base with cloud and scroll carved highlights. Bell height 30 cm, stand height 79.5 cm. An accompanying certificate from the Rijksmuseum Voor Volkenkunde, Leiden, Netherlands signed by the Curator of Chinese Art in the 1960s/70s Dr Gan Tjiang-tek translates the inscriptions and notes: 'Probably the stand was not originally made for this brass chung (bell without clapper), such bells could have served as gifts to a temple. Origin: Chungking in Szechuan? Maybe later than 15th century'.

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  • Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.

  • Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

    The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

    It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.

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