The Zhou Dynasty bronze bell at the British Museum

The Zhou Dynasty bronze bell at the British Museum

The bronze bell of the Zhou Dynasty, circa 5th century BC, was unearthed in Henan, China and is now in the British Museum in London. The bronze bell was a relatively common percussion instrument in ancient China, appearing in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and its form evolved from the crown. The basic form is a suspended handle on the plane of the upper part of the flat resonance box with sharp sides. From the shape of the bronze bell can be divided into two kinds, namely Yong bell and button bell, Yong bell hanging way for oblique hanging, and button bell for straight hanging. A number of bells with different frequencies are listed on the frame in order to form a playable scale, called a "chime".