Probably Asuka period (7th century)

Details

A small gilt-bronze bell
Probably Asuka period (7th century)
The oval bell finely cast and gilded, the bottom with a rectangular aperture revealing a ball inside
1 ¼ in. (3.2 cm.) long

Provenance

Enmanji temple, Nara Prefecture by repute
Otsuki Bankei (1801-1878)

Brought to you by

Takaaki Murakami

tmurakami@christies.com +1 212 636 2158

Lot Essay

According to an accompanying handwritten note dated 1874, this bell is from Asuka period and a similar bell is known to exist in the collection of Horyuji Temple, Nara. For the similar bells in the collection of Horyuji Temple, see Catalogue of Art Treasures of Ten Great Temples of Nara, volume eleven - The Horyuji Temple Part XI (Tokyo: Otsuka Kogeisha, 1933), pl. 22.

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