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Bell (Yongzhong)

5th–3rd century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 207
Longer and narrower than the nao, with an upper section decorated with protruding nipples grouped in four sections of nine, the zhong first appeared during the Zhou dynasty. Like the nao, the zhong is found in odd-numbered sets of bells of graduated size and pitch. Struck with a long-stemmed, T-shaped beater, the bells have excellent musical qualities, such as a clear sound that decays rapidly and a defined and focused pitch. The melodies made by zhong accompanied ritual and entertainment.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 東周 青銅 甬鐘
  • Title: Bell (Yongzhong)
  • Period: Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE)
  • Date: 5th–3rd century BCE
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 24 in. (61 cm); W. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
  • Object Number: 13.220.86
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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