The bell-bearer displays striking similarities to the so-called Nganjuk bronzes, found in 1913 in eastern Java. Several of them found their way directly to collectors. Most of the hoard entered the collection of the present National Museum of Jakarta.
If one compares all details, the bronze under review fits extremely well into this Nganjuk group. However there is one problem, its size! According to N.J. Krom in his "De bronsvondst van Ngandjoek" in Rapporten van de Oudheidkundige Dienst in Nederlandsch-Indië, 1913, p.p. 59-72, Batavia, 1914, based on the bronzes in the museum, the smallest group is circa 9 centimeters high and has no halos. The next group in size is circa 11 centimeters high and has halos. The bronze under review is however much smaller with its 7.6 centimeters, and his halo. But as, hypothetical, the bronze was already sold before Krom saw it, he could obviously have not include it into his article. Only if more bronzes of this size will be published, we are able to confirm its "Nganjuk hoard" background. For the time being one can only date the ghanta-bearer to the same period as the bronzes from the hoard.

See colour illustration