Bianzhong with Four-column Studs (Bronze bell)

Preserved in good condition. Made of bronze, with light green colour. The body has mud and patina on it. This instrument features the common characteristics of a bronze bell with a four-column stud design. The body of each bell is quite large and flat, and is shaped like a combined pair of tiles. The mouth (yu) is slightly curved. The tubular handle (yong) is quite short and is hollow in the middle. Its top and bottom surfaces are of the same size. Near the top, there is a horizontal rod for suspending the bell. The diameter of the rod is 1.4cm. Thick lines cast in low relief form frames that divide the studs, the central panel (zheng) and the gu. There are no zhuan (areas between the studs). Unlike a bell with 36 studs in a three-column design, this bell has a total of 48 long studs symmetrically placed around the body in four groups of twelve, each group featuring 4 rows with 3 studs in each row. The rest of the body has a plain design.