A MAGNIFICENT RARE IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE BELL, BIANZHONG QIANLONG PERIOD, DATED BY INSCRIPTION TO THE EIGHTH YEAR OF THE QIANLONG REIGN, CORRESPONDING TO 1743 The bell is powerfully cast to the exterior in high relief with a wide band depicting a pair of five-clawed dragons surrounded by scrolling clouds above crashing waves, separated by two rectangular inscribed panels. One panel encloses the incised reign mark Qianlong ba nian zhi , 'made during the eighth year of the Qianlong reign', and the other panel contains the incised characters beinanlu , indicating that the bell's musical pitch is the low octave of the tenth note. The band of dragons is set between narrow bands of foliate sprays and cloud scrolls, all above two circular striking discs, one to the front and the other to the back. The bell is surmounded by a pair of five-clawed dragons which intertwine to form the handle. 10 ¾ in. (27.3 cm.) high, weight 14.9 kg Provenance With Yamanaka & Co., Ltd. The American Art Galleries, New York, The Notable Yamanaka Collection of Artistic Oriental Objects and Decorative Art, 5 February 1921, lot 579. Collection of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), purchased from the above auction. Collection of Blanche Wilbur Hill (former daughter-in-law of William Randolph Hearst), purchased from the above collection on 9 January 1961. Sotheby's New York, 15-16 September 2015, lot 160.
A MAGNIFICENT RARE IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE BELL, BIANZHONG QIANLONG PERIOD, DATED BY INSCRIPTION TO THE EIGHTH YEAR OF THE QIANLONG REIGN, CORRESPONDING TO 1743 The bell is powerfully cast to the exterior in high relief with a wide band depicting a pair of five-clawed dragons surrounded by scrolling clouds above crashing waves, separated by two rectangular inscribed panels. One panel encloses the incised reign mark Qianlong ba nian zhi , 'made during the eighth year of the Qianlong reign', and the other panel contains the incised characters beinanlu , indicating that the bell's musical pitch is the low octave of the tenth note. The band of dragons is set between narrow bands of foliate sprays and cloud scrolls, all above two circular striking discs, one to the front and the other to the back. The bell is surmounded by a pair of five-clawed dragons which intertwine to form the handle. 10 ¾ in. (27.3 cm.) high, weight 14.9 kg Provenance With Yamanaka & Co., Ltd. The American Art Galleries, New York, The Notable Yamanaka Collection of Artistic Oriental Objects and Decorative Art, 5 February 1921, lot 579. Collection of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), purchased from the above auction. Collection of Blanche Wilbur Hill (former daughter-in-law of William Randolph Hearst), purchased from the above collection on 9 January 1961. Sotheby's New York, 15-16 September 2015, lot 160.
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