Qin Gong Bell

Age: Spring and Autumn Period, Grade 1

Specifications: A: 48cm high, 17cm high, 24kg in weight. B: 45cm high, 17cm high, 21.5kg in weight. C: 45.7cm high, 15cm high, 24kg in weight. D: 38.5cm high,

Excavation site: Excavated from Taigong Temple, Baoji County in 1978

Percussion instrument. Five pieces were unearthed, with different sizes. The bell body is in the shape of a tile, with four small dragons on the ridge, the dance part is decorated with deformed Kui patterns, the cymbal part is framed by thick positive lines, with an inscription in the middle, and three symmetrical areas with pieces and two seals on both sides. Each piece area has three long pieces, and each seal area is decorated with two bird-beak dragon patterns with their heads facing the cymbals. The middle drum part is decorated with two symmetrical dragon patterns with their heads looking back. The inscription on the Qin Gong Bell is the same as that on the Qin Bi. The inscription on the A and B bells is 130 words in total, and the content is complete. The three pieces of inscriptions, Bing, Ding and Wu, have a total of 109 characters, indicating that one bell is still missing.

When unearthed, the three pieces of A, B and C had "S"-shaped hooks.

The Qin Gong bells and bi are well-made, with exquisite patterns, important inscriptions and beautiful fonts, and have research value in many aspects such as pre-Qin history, music history, and calligraphy history.