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Zhuzhou Sanpu Nao (Bronze nao with tiger pattern)

Well preserved. Made of bronze, with yellowish-brown colour on the surface. The body of the bell is shaped like a combined pair of tiles. The underside (wu) is flat and the two xian points are straight. A tubular rod named yong (handle) on the base, which is thick and short, hollow in the middle and is connected to the inner cavity. The yong bears a raised collar called xuan. The mouth (yu) is only slightly curved and almost flat. It has inner lips. The body is wide and flat. Its surface is decorated with 36 conical studs, 18 on each side. They can be divided into two groups. Each group has 3 lines and each line has 3 studs. The whole body is covered with cloud patterns. A rather simplified animal face in the centre of the gu. Standing tigers are decorated on the sides of the gu with curling tails, pointing either upwards or downwards, but they are simplified and rough. This type of tiger pattern is handed down from the large nao with tiger pattern in the late Shang dynasty.

  • Culture:
  • Period:
  • Materials:Bronze
  • Specific materials/techniques:
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  • Inscriptions:
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:111.242.11 (Individual) resting bells
  • Repository:Hunan Museum
  • Measurements:Total height: 51.8cm, mid-body length: 28.9cm, weight: 24.2kg, horizontal diameter of the wu: 28.4cm, vertical diameter of the wu: 20.2cm, distance between the two xian points: 37.3cm, thickness of the middle of the gu: 1.9cm, distance between the two sides of the centre of the gu: 25.2cm, diameter of the top of the yong: 8.2cm, diameter of the bottom of the yong: 6.5cm, length of the yong: 19.7cm, height of each stud: 1.6cm