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Nao with Cloud and Thunder Pattern (Bronze bell with conical studs)

Well preserved. Made of bronze. There are two small mould casting holes on the underside. Greyish-green colour on the surface. The handle (yong) is hollow in the middle and is connected to the body of the bell. No traces of polishing are found inside the body. The yong is short and has a raised collar (xuan). The cross-section of the yong is round in shape. The body, thin and long, is shaped like a combined pair of tiles. The body is trapezoid shaped when viewed from the front. The mouth (yu) is curved and has curled inner lips. The underside (wu) is flat and the two xian points are straight. There are 36 studs of two-tiered columnar shape on the body of the bell. The areas (zhuan) between the studs, gu and xuan are decorated with cloud and thunder patterns. Similar patterns on the gu are simplified. The zhuan is decorated with circle-dot patterns.

  • Culture:
  • Period:
  • Materials:Bronze
  • Specific materials/techniques:
  • Decorative elements:
  • Inscriptions:
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:111.242.11 (Individual) resting bells
  • Repository:Hunan Museum
  • Measurements:Total height: 36.0cm, mid-body length: 21.3cm, horizontal diameter of the wu: 17.0cm, vertical diameter of the wu: 10.8cm, distance between the two sides of the centre of the gu: 13.6cm, thickness of the middle of the gu: 0.9cm, thickness of the sides of the gu: 1.0cm, length of the yong: 12.0cm, diameter of the top of the yong: 5.8cm, diameter of the bottom of the yong: 5.5cm, height of each stud: 2.0cm, weight: 10.2kg, distance between the two xian points: 22.4cm, length of the xian: 24.0cm