Page 96 - Deydier UNDERSTANDING CHINESE ARCHAIC BRONZES

Bells (Ling 鈴, Nao 鐃, Zheng 鉦, Zhong 鐘, Bo 鎛)

During the Shang 商 dynasty (circa 17 /16 – 12 /11 centuries B.C.)
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when the earliest bells appear in bronze in China, bells usually come in
groups of three, each of a different size.
During the Western Zhou 西周 (circa 12 /11 centuries – 771 B.C.), bells
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usually come in groups of 5, or 8, or 9 or even more, each of a different
size. By the beginning of the Eastern Zhou 東周 (circa 770 – 256 B.C.),
i.e. the Spring and Autumn 春秋 period (circa 770 – 476 B.C.), bells
are usually grouped into sets of nine or more, varying in size from very
small to very large. The largest set of bells so far excavated, consists of
65 bells found in the Warring States 戰國 period (circa 475 – 221 B.C.)
tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng 曾侯乙墓 near present-day Wuhan 武漢 in
the Hubei 湖北 province.

Ling 鈴

Scientifically excavated from Stage II at the Erlitou 二里頭 site in Henan
河南 province, ling 鈴 bells are actually the earliest-known bronze
objects produced in China. These small, oval, cup-like bells with very
thin sides, have a long, thin attached handle with rounded ends jutting
out from one side, and sometimes a tongue inside, and were cast in two
parts.

Ling 鈴 bells become more numerous by the end of the Shang 商
dynasty during the Yinxu 殷墟 period (circa 14 – 12 /11 centuries
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B.C.). Usually around 7 to 8 cm in height, they rarely come larger
than 10 cm high. Some specialists consider these small bells to be the
ancestors of the larger bo 鎛 bell of subsequent periods.

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Nao, late Shang dynasty (circa 12 /11 centuries B.C.)
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Height: 71 cm – Excavated at Ningxiang, Hunan province.
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