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Spring and Autumn period BC770-476

Chime-bell set of Zi-fan

Gallery305

Exhibition nameRituals Cast in Brilliance: Masterpieces of Bronzes in the Museum Collection

Tzu-fan Bell Set (1-12)

Spring and Autumn period BC770-476

Chime-bell set of Zi-fan

Total heights: 71.2, 66.7, 67.6, 61.5, 42.3, 41.2, 28.5, 26.4 cm
weights: 44.5, 40.9, 41.2, 43.2, 15.75, 15.4, 6.8, 5.4 kg
 

The Museum purchased 12 pieces of "Zi-fan" chimes in September 1994. By joining the respective inscription on each chime, eight proved to have belonged to one set, together with 132 characters (two dittoed) in the complete text. The remaining four were the second half of another set.
 
The person who commissioned the chimes was Hu Yan, the uncle of Prince Chong-Er (696-628 B.C.E.) of the Jin State. He helped the prince in reclaiming the throne after 19 years in exile, beating the Chu State at the battle of Cheng-pu, and finally achieving the hegemony of Jin over all other feudal lords.
 
The chime set is grandiose and majestic; the inscriptions sharp and clear. Its use as a grand implement for rite and music tells us about the ritual system, its text is a valuable and veritable historical account for corroborating and amending historical records, and last but not least, its script is typical of Jin style and provides a welcome addition to our knowledge of calligraphy history.
 
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