A RARE DATED PARCEL-GILT BRONZE TEMPLE BELL AND A STAND, BELL, HONGZHI PERIOD, WITH CYCLICAL DATE CORRESPONDING TO 1499 AND OF THE PERIOD; STAND, JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)

A RARE DATED PARCEL-GILT BRONZE TEMPLE BELL AND A STAND
BELL, HONGZHI PERIOD, WITH CYCLICAL DATE CORRESPONDING TO 1499 AND OF THE PERIOD; STAND, JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)
The bell is finely cast in high relief with a handle formed by the conjoined forequarters of two dragons above a border of stylized lotus petals, the body with eight panels, each containing a leaping dragon, within cloud borders, all above a band of windswept waves and the scalloped border enclosing the dated reign mark, Da Ming Hongzhi jiwei nian mengchun jiri zhi (Made on an auspicious day in the first month of Spring in the year of jiwei during the Ming Hongzhi period). The parcel-gilt stand is cast with dragons and phoenixes.
Bell 12 in. (30.5 cm.) high; stand 30 3/8 in. (77 cm.)

Provenance

Anita Baldwin (1876-1939) Collection, Los Angeles, California, and thence by descent within the family.

PROPERTY FROM THE ANITA BALDWIN COLLECTION