Skip to Main Content

Bronze Ritual Bell

청동 범종 (靑銅梵鐘)

1226
(918–1392)
cast bronze with incised inscription
Diameter: 14 cm (5 1/2 in.); Overall: 22.6 cm (8 7/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1992.118
Location: 236 Korean
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

The inscription informs us that this miniature indoor bell was produced in 1226.

Description

This miniature bell was once used as part of Buddhist indoor rituals. Likely suspended in a Buddhist temple, it features a cast dragon and a vertical tube to amplify the sound on top, and is decorated with Buddhist figures seated on lotuses. The echoing sound of the bell was thought to help Buddhist believers understand the significance of transience and impermanence; the sound instantly fades away as soon as one hears it. This sensory experience creates a striking conceptual parallel with Buddhist teachings, including the idea that all things and beings exist merely in our perception or imagination. An inscription indicates it was cast in the year of the dragon and took three years to make.
Bronze Ritual Bell

Bronze Ritual Bell

1226

Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.