This finial from a hanging bell takes the form of an unusually lively and finely modeled rakshasa—a demon king or guardian. He is depicted as a short, potbellied grimacing creature with fangs and large bulbous eyes and a serpent emerging from each armpit. A curved broad chopper is held in his right hand, and his left is placed behind the neck of a hapless victim with bound hands who is seated in front of him. The hair is pulled back and arranged in a loop to allow for the attachment of a suspension chain.

Ferocious figures of this sort were popular participants in Javanese mythology and literature and appear often in the art of the Eastern Javanese period. Their association with bells is not uncommon.

The Majapahit kingdom (1292–ca. 1500) was established on Java at just the time of Marco Polo's arrival. During the next centuries it extended its influence over much of the Indonesian archipelago. Although a Hindu state, interest in native ancestor and spirit cults had previously been revived.