Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Bell
(China )
The emperor Huizong [Hui-tsung] (reigned 1100-1126) was anxious to bring ritual court music into accordance with ancient standards. Taking the length of the emperor's fingers as a guide, the fundamental pitch was determined (it turned out to be almost exactly middle C). New sets of bells were then cast, their form based on a newly excavated set dating from about the 5th century BC. On each bell, the name of the pitch was engraved on one side and characters meaning "Bureau of Music" on the other.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Ferguson Sale, American Art Association, April 7, 1916; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1916, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
China (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 9 7/8 × W: 7 1/16 × D: 6 13/16 in. (25.1 × 17.9 × 17.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1916
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.2185