AN IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE ARCHAISTIC TEMPLE BELL, BIANZHONG KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD, DATED TO THE 52ND YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1713

robustly cast in barrel form, surmounted by a handle in the form of two dragons side-by-side facing opposite directions, each dragon with mouth open to reveal its tongue and fangs, the details of their manes and scales finely rendered, the gently bulging sides cast with four vertical panels, the front panel enclosing the reign mark Kangxi wushier nian zhi set in a rectangular cartouche between a yinyang emblem and a solid line representing the male principal yang, the opposing similar panel cast with two characters ruibin denoting the bell's musical pitch, the side panels each with a scrolling archaistic kui dragon set between a ruyi and an angular scroll, the panels spaced equidistant between horizontal bands of alternating bosses and pairs of  trigrams, all above eight raised circular disks encircling the base, the wood stand carved with dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls

Acquired in China in the early 1900s.
Thence in the family by descent.

The bell was suspended from a cast-iron frame and used as a gong for over 100 years by the French owners and thus shows extensive wear. As it was hammered the surface is covered all over the exterior and top with small circular dents. The horizontal panel with the cast date has been flattened to due extensive usage and hammering yet the characters remain legible. There is extensive wear to the rich gilding and there are some greenish powdery encrustations in the recessed areas of the casting. The gilding on one side is a little matte and of a darker yellowish tone (visible in the catalogue illustration). The bell is extremely heavy and when tapped, it makes a beautiful sound.
"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."

Large and very heavy gilt bronze bells such as the present lot were assembled in sets of sixteen and produced twelve musical tones, with four tones repeated in a higher or lower octave. The present bell is the seventh pitch (ruibin) of the yang key from its set. Cast in equal size but varying in thickness, these bells were attached to tall wooden frames in two rows of eight as depicted by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) in his painting Imperial Banquet in Wanshu Garden (c. 1755), included in the exhibition Splendors of China's Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, Chicago, 2005, cat. no. 101. Instrumental in court ritual, only four sets of bells of this form appear to have been cast during Kangxi's reign, supposedly for the Temple of Agriculture in Beijing. The first two sets were produced in the 52nd year (1713) and the second two sets in the 54th year (1715), each set dated by inscription cast on each bell.

The present lot belongs to the earlier set of which several examples have been offered on the market; compare one example sold in our New York rooms, 24th April 1975, lot 240, two further examples sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 17th May 1979, lot 454, and 9th October 2007, lot 1327; a fourth bell sold in our New York rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 70; and a fifth one sold in these rooms, 18th December 2012, lot 147.