Liuyang Zhibei Village Bianzhong (Bronze chime bells) (9 bells)

Preserved in good condition. Made of bronze, with light green patina on the surface. The bells are similar in shape and decoration but vary in size, from large to small. The body of each bell is thin and long, and is shaped like a combined pair of tiles. The mouth (yu) is curved. The two xian points are pointing slightly inwards. The upper surface (wu) is flat and has a suspension loop (niu), which is shaped like a flat rectangle. The loop and the body are trapezoid shaped when viewed from the front. The loop is decorated with S-shaped cloud patterns. The upper surface (wu) is divided into 4 areas, which are decorated with panchi patterns [in legend, panchi is a curled dragon without a horn]. The areas (zhuan) between the studs and the middle of the gu are decorated with panchi patterns. The framing lines dividing the studs, the areas (zhuan) between the studs, the central panel (zheng) and the gu are all cast in low relief. The body has a total of 36 studs arranged in three columns. The areas between the studs are decorated with fine cloud patterns.