19th Century Burmese Bronze Temple Bell with Stand

Description

19th century Burmese bronze temple bell with original carved hard wood stand, painted iron hanging bracket, and striker. This rare … more 19th century Burmese bronze temple bell with original carved hard wood stand, painted iron hanging bracket, and striker. This rare cast bronze bell has a splendid sculptural and spiritual presence.

The bell has a long inscription on the upper part. The offering of a bronze bell to a monastery or temple was considered second only to the offering of a Buddha image as an act of merit (kutho).

Such bells were cast using the lost wax (cire perdue) method. Casting of such bells was auspicious with specific rituals being performed by the caster and sponsors to ensure the appropriate blessings.

The bell here, as with all such Burmese bells, does not have a clapper. It was designed to be struck from the outside by the wooden striker. When such bells were struck in a temple (itself a meritorious act), onlookers traditionally would responds with cries of ‘thadu, thadu!’ (‘well done, well done!)

It is of classic bell shape with several rows of engraved concentric circles and two upper rows of lappet-like lotus petals. The upper section of the bell has been cast with a pair of chin-thei (Burmese lions) which guard the holding ring.

The hanging bracket is attached to the bell by means of an iron rod which passes through the holding ring.

The iron hanging bracket has been cast separately to the bell. Typically, a donor would select a bell and then select a hanging bracket with the bracket having some sort of personal significance to the donor such as being cast with figures relevant to the day of the week on which the donor was born. It has been elaborately cast with two outward looking mythical figures to either side whose tails interlock over the bell and the entire structure

Measurements
Height: overall 60 1/2 inches
H/D: Bell 23 1/2 by 16 3/4 inches
H/W/D: Base, 5 by 44 by 17 inches
Width: bell body at bottom approximately 1 3/4 inches

Weight
Bell: 210 lbs.
Hanging loop and pins: 18.5 lbs.
Stand, pillars, and mallet: 125 lbs.

Condition
with losses to hand of figure of hanging hook; with splits to support columns; with pitting, with patina, with minor losses and wear; hanging loop and pin made of iron. less