Rare 18th Century Bronze Temple Shrine Hanging Bell – Inscribed

This bronze shrine bell dates from the 18th century and was sourced about 40 years ago in Kathmandu for my own private collection.  Antique shrine bells like this are very hard to source nowadays, and only come onto the market when a temple or shrine has been destroyed by earthquake or dismantled to make way for new infrastructure.   

Most shrine bells of this size are threaded along a horizontal metal bar situated over a temple shrine, with perhaps a dozen similar bells, for devotees to brush their fingers along to announce their presence to the Gods.  

However, this bell is different in two respects, and more important.  Firstly, it was intended to hang alone INSIDE a shrine, as evidenced by the knocker which is designed to have a cord attached for gripping and hand-ringing.  And secondly, it carries a dot-punched inscription or dedication, now quite faint.  It’s very unusual for a small bell such as this to be inscribed, so this bell is quite special.

The rung note is also unusual and alternates between a seventh octave A7 (3492Hz) and a perfect pitch sixth octave F6 (1398Hz). 

This shrine bell has been hand cast in a bronze alloy by the lost wax method and is therefore a unique one-off item.   It is in excellent condition with a slight aged patina.  

When you buy, handle, and ring one of these antique bells you can be confident that it is a genuine and revered holy instrument that has played an important part in countless sacred rituals and ceremonies for at least 100 years. Each bell is a fascinating and beautiful object in its own right, with the look and feel of antiquity…but perhaps more importantly, when it is rung one can sense the spiritual energy, power and purpose with which it is imbued, and the present ineffably connects to the past.