A RARE PARCEL-GILT BRONZE RITUAL BELL, GHANTA MARK AND PERIOD OF XUANDE

finely cast in two pieces, the gilt bronze handle formed of a central Vairocana head crowned with an eight-leaf diadem, with long bejewelled earlobes, downcast eyes and a meditative expression, set below a lotus base supporting a half vajra-shaped terminal with makara heads projecting four prongs joining at their tip around a central post, the ungilded bell with a broad band of stone chimes suspending dharma wheels and tassels, between a border of upright vajra sceptres within raised beads around the base and a band of horizontal vajra sceptres between beaded borders at the shoulder, the apex of the bell with a border of petals lappet enclosing lança characters encircling a starburst collaring the shaft, the top of the interior cast with a stylised floret issuing further lança characters and inscribed with a six-character reign mark, suspending a later added clapper

The bell is in overall good condition with expected surface wear and light scratches in areas. The clapper suspended on the interior is later added. The cast mark is flipped horizontally (see mark illustration in catalogue).
"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."

The present bell (ghanta) is one of the eight Buddhist implements, which also include the vajra, phurba, conch shell, kapala bowl and drum, bone flute and iron dagger. These objects were housed in a cabinet in the Buddhist temple. The bell and its companion, the vajra, represent wisdom and strength that dispels evil spirits.

It is rare to find bells of this type with a Xuande reign mark and of the period and only one other recorded example, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, appears to have been published, illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pl. 132-1. Xuande period ghanta are of particular significance as these were later used as prototype for the identical bells produced under the supervision of the lamas Zhangjia Rimpoche and Anwangjiu Zhu'er during the Qianlong reign. A Qianlong mark and period example was included in the exhibition Buddhist Art from Rehol, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Art, Kaohsiung, 1999, cat. no. 74-2; and another was sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 539. Such ghanta are normally paired in a set with a vajra and enclosed in a conjoined box. See for example two complete bell and vajra sets marked to the Qianlong reign, one included in the exhibition Qing Legacies. The Sumptuous Art of Imperial Packaging, The Macau Museum of Art, 2000, cat. no. 59, and the other sold in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2010, lot 44 & 45. Compare also a bell of this type carved from white jade, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware, vol. 3, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 135.