When these bells were located in Hong Kong among the antiques sellers, little was known about them and many experts thought they were fakes due to the inscriptions on the bells which were added after the casting of the bells. It turned out to be the real deal, and with the help of Chinese University of Hong Kong, 14 of them were bought and sent back to Shanghai Museum.1
National Treasure 国宝
Zhong (Percussion Instrument) of Su, Marquis of Jin 晋侯稣钟
Bronze ware | Western Zhou King Li reign (mid-9th century BC), Western Zhou | Dimensions – range from 22cm to 52cm | Shanghai Museum Collection, Unearthed in the No.8 tomb in Beizhao village, Quwo county, Shanxi province, 1992. 青铜器｜西周厉王（公元前9世纪中叶）｜ 高52厘米（大），高22厘米（小）｜上海博物馆藏，1992年山西曲沃县北赵村8号墓出土
In 1992, a total of 16 pieces of bronze bells called Zhong 鐘 were unearthed in the Marquis of Jin tomb in Beizhao Village, Quwo County, Shanxi Province; 14 were taken by tomb robbers and sold to antique sellers in Hong Kong, while 2 were left behind and excavated by the authorities in Shanxi in an effort to protect the remaining relics.2
The bells are percussion instruments and can be divided into arranged into two rows of bells in harmonic scales of an octave each. 3, 4 Because it can be hit in two ways (in front and on the side), a total of 3 and a third octaves can be produced from the 16 bells ranging from A to C4.
According to the ancient texts, four bells form an octave or a du 堵, eight bells span two octaves called a lv 肆, which is the most basic set for performance. And 16 bells are known as a ju 虡, and can perform the most complex of compositions.5
The four higher notes (Bells 1-4 in Set 1 and 2) are minted at the same time, the lower four notes (Bells 5-8) of both sets are minted separately from the higher notes as well as each set. So there’s a total of three casting made to create these 16 bells, and Marquis Su most likely collected them over time and carved the inscriptions later.
Who is Su, Marquis of Jin?
Ancient nobles often had multiple names, with variations in given name and courtesy name, official name and alternative name, honorific title and self-designation. Furthermore, historical records frequently used phonetic loan characters with similar pronunciations and meanings to record names. This has led to difficulties in confirming the identities of ancient people today, given the significant changes in the pronunciation and meaning of Chinese characters. The discrepancies between the name of the Marquis of Jin recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian 《史记》and the inscriptions on artifacts from his tomb stem from this very reason.6
The name of Marquis Xian of Jin is recorded as “Ji” “籍” in the Records of the Grand Historian, but as “Su” “苏” in its commentary. These two characters, which seem unrelated in pronunciation and form today, were phonetic loan characters in ancient times. It is precisely this correspondence between the record and the inscriptions on the artifacts that led to the confirmation of the occupant of Tomb No. 8.7
King Li of Zhou Conquered the Barbarians in the East 周厉王亲征东方夙夷
A total of 355 words are engraved, and records the incident of the Marquis of Jin under the command of King Li of Zhou to conquer the Barbarians of the East. This incident was recorded in history books, and the inscriptions provided important supplement to the historical facts of the conquest.8 It also allows the historians to further enhance the accuracy of the calendar of the Western Zhou Dynasty.9
释文:
隹(唯)王卅又三年，王(亲)遁省东或(国)南或(国),正月既生霸戊午，王步自宗周，二月既望癸卯，王入各成周。二月既死霸王寅，王偿(往)东,三月方死霸，王至于万分行，王(亲)令晋侯(率)乃(师)(左)洀■北舟■伐夙(宿)尸(夷),晋侯稣折首百又廿，执(讯)廿又三夫。王至于■(城),王(亲)远省(师),王至晋侯稣(师),王降自车,立南乡(向),(亲)令晋侯稣：自西北遇(隅)(敦)伐剑(城),晋侯(率)毕(厥)亚旅、小子、(铁)人先(陷)入折首百，执(讯)十又一夫。王至淖淖列列尸(夷)出(奔),王令(命)晋侯稣(率)大室小臣车仆从,述(遂)逐之，晋侯折首百又一十，执(讯)廿夫，大室小臣车仆折首百又五十，执(讯)六十夫。王住(唯)反(返),归在成周，公族整(师),宫。六月初吉成寅，旦，王各大室，即立(位)。王乎(呼)(善)夫曰：召晋侯稣，入门,立中廷。王(亲)易(赐)驹四匹，稣拜(稽)首，受骗以出，反(返)入，拜(稽)首。丁亥，旦王乡于邑伐宫，庚寅，旦，王各大室，(司)工(空)扬父入又(右)晋侯稣，王(亲)傍晋侯稣(矩)一卣、弓、矢百、马四匹，稣敢扬天子不(丕)显鲁休，用乍(作)元和扬钟，用邵各前前文文人，其严才(在)上，虞(翼)才(在)下，蓬蓬勃勃,降余多福，稣其迈(万)年无疆(疆)子子孙孙。永宝兹钟。10
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ck4y1T7FG?t=103.2
According to the inscription, the battle that Jin Marquis Su participated in was a very important one. Not only was it personally commanded by the Zhou king, but it was also a large-scale battle. The number of enemies killed was second only to the famous Guo Ji Zi Bai Pan 虢季子白盘 in the records of Western Zhou bronze inscriptions, and the number of prisoners was twice that recorded on the pan.11
Marquis Su fought bravely and won a great victory, beheading 480 enemies and capturing 114 prisoners in the entire campaign, achieving outstanding merit. After the war, to commend Su’s achievements, the Zhou king held a grand award ceremony in the main hall of Zongzhou in June, bestowing upon Su horses, bows and arrows, and incense and wine for sacrifices. This set of chime bells was specially made by Su to commemorate the emperor’s favor and to be offered to his ancestors.12
Significance of the Discovery
Bronze ware | Western Zhou King Li reign (mid-9th century BC), Western Zhou | Unearthed in the No.8 tomb in Beizhao village, Quwo county, Shanxi province, 1992. | Currently on display at Shanxi Bronzeware Museum, Shanxi Museum Collection. 青铜器｜西周厉王（公元前9世纪中叶）｜1992年山西曲沃县北赵村8号墓出土｜山西博物馆藏，现展出于山西青铜博物馆
The owner of the Jin Marquis Bell was named Su, the eighth ruler of Jin, Xianhou, as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian. Many bronze artefacts bearing the title of Jin Marquis were unearthed from the Jin Marquis tombs, but apart from Jin Marquis Su, no corresponding owner could be found in historical records for the other artefacts. The confirmation of Jin Marquis Xian provided a framework for the chronological order of the Jin Marquis tombs. Based on the stylistic and decorative characteristics of the bronze artefacts unearthed from each tomb, combined with the features of the Western Zhou burial system, scholars ultimately deduced the exact identity of the owner of each Jin Marquis tomb and their generational order.13
Controversies over the Authenticity of Zhong of Su
Right from the beginning there’s a lot of controversies over the authenticity of these bells. Mainly three objections:
- The inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty bronzes are usually casted together with the moulds, but these bells are carved with sharp tools, which is the first example of its kind.
- Marquis Su and King Li were of different periods according to ancient texts, and this was the first the two are linked together in an incident.14
Post updated 27 Feb 2026. All photos taken at Shanghai Museum East Nov 2024 and Shanxi Bronzeware Museum Oct 2025, unless otherwise noted.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes:
- 在这些珍贵的器物中，晋侯稣钟无疑是最为重要的发现之一。晋侯稣钟出土于晋侯墓地8号墓，1992年8月，晋侯墓地的考古工作因当地的秋收而中断，8号墓在此期间又遭严重盗掘，大量器物流失。1992年底对其进行了抢救性发掘，在墓中发现了盗墓者遗漏的两枚编钟。几乎同时，被盗掘后通过走私出境的青铜器在香港的文物市场中现身，但其中的14枚钟却数月无人问津。其主要原因是依据编钟的样式来看这些应该是西周时期的器物，但上面却出现了之前西周文物上未曾见过的刻凿铭文。当时大部分公私藏家都认为，西周时期的青铜器上只有铸造的铭文，故此对钟的真伪难以决断。
远在沪上的马承源听说了这批钟的情况，根据自己长年的研究经验，断定这是西周时代的重要青铜文物，出于保护文物的目的，他决定在文物市场尚存观望之际，在香港中文大学张光裕教授的帮助下斥巨资将14枚编钟抢救回国。编钟到达上海后，博物馆的专家发现钟上铭文先后联缀成文，叙述西周末年的一次战争经过而未结束，经过与晋侯墓地两枚残留的小钟比对，造型、花纹、铭文均可相合，证明它们的确属于同一套编钟。
https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/asset2/20151230150415016/
12月，上海博物馆馆长马承源先生在香港中文大学张光裕教授的帮助下斥巨资将14枚编钟买回。经过与晋侯墓地考古出土的两枚编钟对比，它们的价值得以确认。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/西周晋侯苏钟/64120#reference-4 ↩︎ - 1992年8月，晋侯墓地8号墓遭到盗掘，大量随葬品被盗往国外，其中有14枚流落到香港古玩肆中； 10月，北京大学考古系与山西省考古研究所联合发掘了被盗的8号墓，出土了刻有铭文的两枚甬钟，铭文分别为“年无疆子子孙孙”、“永宝兹钟” 。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/西周晋侯苏钟/64120#reference-4 ↩︎ - 西周晋侯苏钟共16枚，编钟分两组，三种式样，每组8枚，均大小成编,一组即一肆。大钟为一组，高分别为49、49.8、52、44.7、32.7、30、25.3、22厘米，纹饰浅而细，小型为一组，高分别为50、49.5、51、47.6、34.8、29.9、25.9、22.3厘米。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/西周晋侯苏钟/64120#reference-4 ↩︎ - 西周时期的钟多为双音钟，最少三件大小不等的钟就能获得比较完整的五声音阶，演奏简单的乐曲。而随着器主身份的提高，所用的钟数越多，所跨的音域越广，所奏乐曲亦越复杂。根据文献的记载，编钟的排列“半为堵，全为肆”。即以四枚为一堵八度音。八枚为一肆，跨两列八度，是最基本的演奏单位。而两肆钟十六枚称一虡（jù），已是比较复杂的组合。晋侯稣钟正是两肆一虡的编组，敲击每个钟的正鼓部和装饰有小鸟花纹的侧鼓部，能获得跨越一个小三度的乐音，整套钟分为音列相同的两组，音域自小字组的a字到小字组c4跨越三个八度又一个小三度，在当时极为罕见。
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5ODAyNjM5Mg==&mid=2651313545&idx=1&sn=7f26542a2628761746aa97294a3d03a6&chksm=bd22787e8a55f1689f706818fb1bacef1a0d018430b12f20079ef4945d8858304bef17de6821&scene=27 ↩︎ - 根据文献的记载，编钟的排列“半为堵，全为肆”。即以四枚为一堵八度音。八枚为一肆，跨两列八度，是最基本的演奏单位。而两肆钟十六枚称一虡（jù），已是比较复杂的组合。
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5ODAyNjM5Mg==&mid=2651313545&idx=1&sn=7f26542a2628761746aa97294a3d03a6&chksm=bd22787e8a55f1689f706818fb1bacef1a0d018430b12f20079ef4945d8858304bef17de6821&scene=27 ↩︎ - 晋侯稣身份的确认
古代贵族的姓名常有数个，名与字，正名与别名，尊称与自称各不相同，而文献中又经常使用音义相近的通假字来记录人名，导致在汉字音义发生很大变化的今天，我们对古人姓名确认的困难，《史记》所载晋侯名多与晋侯墓器铭不同也正源于此。https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/asset2/20151230150415016/, accessed 27 Feb 2026 ↩︎ - 晋献侯的名字在《史记》中记为“籍”，而在其注文中则作“苏”，因为这两个在今天看起来读音字形毫不相干的字在上古时期是音韵相近的通假字。也正是因为这条记录与器物铭文的对应，才使得8号墓的主人得到了确认。 ↩︎
- 通过铭文，我们知道了编钟的主人叫“稣”，经研究，稣是《史记》所载第八代晋国国君——晋献侯。晋侯墓地出土了很多带有晋侯名号的青铜器，但除了晋侯稣，其他器主均不能在文献上找到对应。晋献侯的确认，为晋侯墓地的世代排序提供了坐标。
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5ODAyNjM5Mg==&mid=2651313545&idx=1&sn=7f26542a2628761746aa97294a3d03a6&chksm=bd22787e8a55f1689f706818fb1bacef1a0d018430b12f20079ef4945d8858304bef17de6821&scene=27 ↩︎ - 根据这些资料，专家们认为：西周晚期在位超过33年的，只有厉王和宣王。《史记·晋世家》载晋侯稣卒于周宣王十六年（公元前812年），所以晋侯稣钟的“三十三年”属厉王，晋国用的是周历。《史记·周本纪》载厉王三十七年出奔，由召公、周公二相行政，号“共和”。以厉王出奔之年为“共和”元年，即前841年，则厉王三十三年为公元前845年。编钟铭文中的干支及月相与这一年能相合，可知厉王三十三年为前845年不误。在夏商周断代工程进行中，晋侯稣钟成了周厉王时期的标准青铜器，为解决西周纪年的难点提供了强有力的佐证，成为了确定西周王年的一个重要定点，价值非凡。
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5ODAyNjM5Mg==&mid=2651313545&idx=1&sn=7f26542a2628761746aa97294a3d03a6&chksm=bd22787e8a55f1689f706818fb1bacef1a0d018430b12f20079ef4945d8858304bef17de6821&scene=27 ↩︎ - 佳《唯》王卅又三年，王（親）適省東或（國》南或（國》，正月既生霸戊午，王步自宗周，二月既望癸卯，王入各成周。二月既死霸壬寅，王值（往〉東，三月方死霸，王至于第分行，王《親）令晉侯（率）乃（師）（左》洀董北洀口伐夙（宿）尸（夷》，晉侯稣折首百又廿，執《訊〉廿又三夫。王至于 氣（城》，王（親）遠省《師），王至晉侯稣（師》，王降自車，立南鄉（向》，（親》令晉侯稣：自西北遇（隅）（敦）伐飼（城），晉侯（率） （厥〉亞旅、小子、（鐵）人先（陷）入折首百，執《訊＞十又一夫。王至淖淖列列尸（夷）出（奔），王令（命）晉侯稣（率）大室小臣車僕從，述（遂》逐之，晉侯折首百又一十，執《訊〉廿夫，大室小臣車僕折首百又五十，執（訊）六十夫。王佳（唯）反（返），歸在成周，公族整（師），宫。六月初吉戊寅，旦，王各大室，即立（位》。王乎（呼）《善）夫曰：召晉侯蘇，入門，立中廷。王（親）易（賜〉駒四匹，稣拜（稽）首，受駒以出，反（返》入，拜（稽〉首。丁亥，旦王 您于邑伐宮，庚寅，旦，王各大室，（司》工（空）揚父入又（右）晉侯稣，王《親》儕晉侯稣《秬）一卣、弓、矢百、馬四匹，稣敢揚天子不（丕》顯魯休，用乍（作）元龢揚鐘，用卻各前前文文人，其嚴才（在）上，廙（翼）才（在〉下，數數雞贸，降余多福，蘇其邁（萬）年無彊（疆〉子子孫孫。永嗇茲鐘。 ↩︎
- 从铭文的记载来看，晋侯稣所参加的是一场非常重要的战争，非但由周王亲自指挥，且战斗规模宏大，杀敌人数在西周青铜铭文记录中仅次于著名的虢季子白盘（图23），而俘虏人数更为该盘记录的两倍。https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/asset2/20151230150415016/ ↩︎
- 据铭文记载，晋献侯稣参加了由天子亲自指挥的一次大规模战争。战争的地点在山东境内大野泽北的梁山一带，征伐对象是周代中晚期经常骚扰中央的东部少数民族 “宿夷”。战争全过程历时三个月：正月上旬，周王由位于陕西的宗周赶赴东部，于二月中旬到达河南的成周。在经历了一系列军事部署后，三月下旬周王带领大军到达山东的菡地(一说为范地)，在此分兵出击。周王命晋侯稣北上攻击宿夷的老巢，先后攻克两邑后与自己会师总攻郓城。晋侯稣作战十分勇敢，大获全胜，在整个战役中斩首480级，虏敌114人，功勋卓著。战争结束后，为了表彰稣的战功，周王在六月于宗周的正殿之中举行隆重的授奖仪式，先后赏赐给稣马匹、弓箭、和祭祀用的香酒。而这套编钟正是稣为了铭记天子的荣宠而特意制作并奉祀于祖先的。https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/asset2/20151230150415016/ ↩︎
- 晋侯钟的主人名稣，是《史记》所载第八代晋君献侯。晋侯墓出土了很多带有晋侯名号的青铜器，但除了晋侯稣，其他器主均不能在文献上找到对应。晋献侯的确认，为晋侯墓地的世代排序提供了坐标，学者们根据各墓所出铜器造型、纹饰的时代特征，结合西周墓葬制度的特点,最终推断出了每座晋侯墓主人的确切身份以及他们的世序。https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/asset2/20151230150415016/, accessed 27 Feb 2026 ↩︎
- 问题出在西周晚期周王在位过了三十又三年只有厉王和宣王，某王三十又三年晋侯苏讨伐夙夷是绝对真实的事，《史记》之《晋世家》及《十二诸侯年表》记载，晋献侯在位的时间为周宣王六年到十六年，即前822到前812年，若三十三年为宣王的三十三年，晋侯苏已然死去多年了，若为厉王三十三年，那时晋侯苏还没有即位，争论便由此而起。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/西周晋侯苏钟/64120#reference-4 ↩︎
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