A RARE DATED BRONZE TEMPLE BELL DATED 1695

the slightly spreading cylindrical body with a scalloped rim, cast in thread relief with two registers of rectangular panels enclosing a thirteen-line calligraphic inscription and dated to the thirty-fourth year of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, all below a lotus-lappet band and surmounted by a two-headed dragon crown, the metal patinated to a dark brown tone, elaborate carved wood 'dragon' stand

Acquired in China, 1910

The bell is generally in good condition but has damage to one horn on the right dragon head handle and very minor damage to the horn of the other. There are numerous areas where the patination has been removed from the bronze except for the upper part from the lotus petal band upwards. The stand is generally in good condition but has an area of repair to the front part of the stand.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

It is rare to find a Kangxi bell of this type, which is close in form and decoration to archaistic bells made during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Compare a closely related bell with an inscription dating it to 1532 illustrated in Sheila Riddell, Dated Chinese Antiquities 600-1650, London, 1979, pl. 125, together with one of a similar form but decorated with archaistic animals and with an inscription dating it to 1499, pl. 124; and another with stylised characters sold in out Hong Kong rooms, 14^th November 1990, lot 420.

For 'drum' form bells dated to the Kangxi reign, see one included in the exhibition Treasures from the Palace Museum, Tokyo, 1982, cat. no. 3; one illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol. 10, Bejing, 1987, pl. 176; one sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9^th October 2007, lot 1327; and a fourth example sold in our New York rooms, 19^th March 2007, lot 94.