China
Chinese

Bronze, gilded gold
Qing Dynasty (1644 CE – 1911 CE)
Height: 9.75 in; Width: 8.5 in; Depth: 6.25 in
Idiophones – Struck Directly – Bells

This large single gilt-bronze bell (Zhong) is of the bo variety (has a loop top, a flat bottom rim, and a rounder, but slightly ovaloid body shape), and is considered a tezhong (“special bell”).  It features motifs reminiscent of the Qianlong Period (ca. 1735-1796) during the Qing Dynasty, such as dragons on the front and on the flat ovaloid top, as well as a double archaistic dragon handle. The bell is very heavy, and symbols cast in relief on the main exterior include the four guardians, ruyi cloud details, and scrolling tendril decorations. The center of one of the two larger sides also features two embossed characters in a rectangle surrounded by scrollwork.

Made of clay in Neolithic times, the bell (Zhong) was crafted in bronze during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1066 BCE). In performance the early bell (Zhong) was either held by hand or placed on a seat with its mouth upward and struck with a mallet. This kind of bell (Zhong) is also called nao in order to differentiate it from the suspended type.

The suspended bells fall into two main categories: those with a straight handle plus a lug at the top, which are suspended slantwise on a wooden frame, are called yongzhong; those having a ring that allows for vertical suspension are called niuzhong.

Bells with clappers inside are called ling, while clapperless bells are known as zhong.  Temple bells usually assume the form of chimes in China.

Resource: https://www.britannica.com/art/zhong