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Dahe bell, note jiazhong

ca. 1105, reinscribed ca. 1174
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
In 1126, the Song capital Bianjing (now Kaifeng, Henan Province) fell to the Jurchen Jin army; Emperor Huizong was removed to the north, along with thousands of officials and numerous treasures, including ritual bronzes. Some of the Dasheng bells were kept by the Jin court to reuse for their state music. In 1174, the Jin court erased the “Dasheng” inscription and replaced it with “Dahe” (Grand Harmony), the title of Jin ritual music. The bell here was recycled in this way.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 宋/金 銅大晟“夾鐘”鐘 (改銘“大和”)
  • Title: Dahe bell, note jiazhong
  • Period: Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)
  • Date: ca. 1105, reinscribed ca. 1174
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 9 in. (22.8 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by Shanghai Museum
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph courtesy of Shanghai Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art