Lot 48
Ancient Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Dong Son culture, ca. late 1st millennium BCE. A handsome pair of bells made of bronze and leaded bronze and displaying diverse forms. More petite of the 2, the first instrument presents in the shape of a trapezoidal prism with a pair of tubular handles at the top and an open mouth for the clapper, all enveloped in a thick russet patina. Alternatively, the larger bell boasts a seafoam green patina and displays a broad, annular mouth, a corseted hip, a bulbous shoulder and head, and lengthy, tubular canons. Its exterior is elaborately adorned with dozens of striated coils that wrap horizontally around the body and vertically around the canons, as well as a central register of downward-pointing triangles and spiral motifs, an abstract design with 2 nodules on 1 side of the head, and a pair of projecting embellishments that flank the shoulder. Size of larger: 3.4" Diameter x 4.5" H (8.6 cm x 11.4 cm)
The Dong Son (or Dongson) culture of north Vietnam long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from graves. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for over 100 years before their original location was even determined, and arguments over how to date the culture continue to this day. These bells with no clapper continue to be mysterious objects, but artwork on bronze drums from the same period and culture suggest that the Dong Son were a musical culture.
Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010
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#169977
- Condition: Both are missing clapper impeding bell function and have expected nicks and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, both are excellent with lovely patina.
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