A RARE AND IMPORTANT IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE RITUAL BELL (BIANZHONG) KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD, DATED TO THE FIFTY-FIFTH YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1716

well-cast in cylindrical form with bulging sides, surmounted by a pair of addorsed dragons, each intricately modeled with scaled, arched back and powerful extended front claws, the horned heads raised, mouths agape to reveal pointed fangs, the sides cast in sharp relief with a pair of writhing dragons striding amidst fiery clouds above continuous rolling waves, separated on either side by an upright rectangular cartouche surrounded by symmetrical cloud scrolls, one enclosing a crisply-cast dated reign mark in high relief reading Kangxi wushiwunian zhi, the opposing panel with two characters dalü, all between a band of formalized cloud wisps and eight circular striking discs

There are signs of the expected wear and numerous small nicks and knocks scattered throughout the surface, most noticeable along the top and lower edges, the edges of the rectangular cartouches, and along the raised fillets. There is a rectangular patch approximately 2.3 cm long just below the top edge. There is an indentation to the top edge approximately 3.3 cm long, a slight indentation to the body just below that, and to the lower edge of the striking disc below that. There is wear to the gilding most noticeable on the striking disc and on one rectangular cartouche. There are signs of oxidation and encrustation in the interior. Overall, the bell appears to be in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Ornately cast bells of this type, known as bianzhong, made a lavish display of the Qing court’s power and wealth. These bells were an essential part of ritual performances and accompanied every official event, such as temple offerings, court assemblies, festivals and holiday celebrations. Commonly used together with jade chimes (qing), when struck the sound produced had cosmological significance and was considered a means of summoning the immortals. The harmony and pitch of the tones also served as a reminder of the importance of consonance and order and therefore served as a mirror on Qing society.

Bells of this type were assembled in sets of sixteen which produced twelve musical tones, with four tones repeated in a higher or lower octave. Each bell was cast in equal size, but of varying thicknesses and inscribed with its musical tone. This bell bears the characters dalü, indicating the second tone. They were arranged in two rows and attached to tall elaborate wooden frames, as seen in two complete sets similarly cast with dragons and inscribed with cyclical dates corresponding to 1713, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, the first set included in the exhibition Kangxi. Empereur de Chine, Musée National du Château de Versailles, Versailles, 2004, cat. no. 2, and the second included in the exhibition China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Art, London, 2006, cat. no. 32.

A closely related bell, also from the fifty-fifth year of the Kangxi reign, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the exhibition Treasures from the Palace Museum, The Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo, 1982, cat. no. 3; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 10th November 2015, lot 165. Three sets of bells, dated to 1716, are held in the Palace Museum, Beijing, one with a complete set of sixteen, a second missing the huangzhong and beiwushe tones, and a third set missing the nanlu and yize tones.

Further Kangxi mark and period bells of this type but inscribed with different cyclical dates include one dated to 1715, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji. Jin, yin, boli falangqi [The complete collection of Chinese art]. Gold, silver, glass and enamel objects], vol. 10, Beijing, 1987, pl. 176; and a pair, also from 1715, from the Yousaian collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th May 2009, lot 1818.

Bells of similar form and decoration continued to be produced in the Qianlong reign; see for example a complete set, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in situ together with a complete set of chimes, in Qingdai Gongting Shenghuo [Life in the Palace during the Qing dynasty], Hong Kong, 1985, pls 43 and 44.