On display at the Shanghai Museum East are three bianzhongs casted in 1715 under the instructions of Qing Emperor Kangxi. There beautiful percussion instruments are a stark contrast to the rest of the bronze wares that are also on display in the magnificent Bronze Ware gallery.
Gilt Zhongs (Percussion Instrument) with Dragon Pattern 鎏金龙纹钟（三件）
Gilt bronze ware | 54th year of Kangxi reign (1715), Qing | Shanghai Museum collection. 鎏金铜器｜清康熙五十四年（1715年）｜上海博物馆藏
Bianzhong bells are grouped as carillons.1 From left to right :
- Gilt Ruibin Zhong (percussion instrument) with dragon pattern 鎏金龙纹蕤宾钟 (7th tone)
- Gilt Yize Zhong (percussion instrument) with dragon pattern 鎏金龙纹夷则钟 (9th tone)
- Gilt Huangzhong Zhong (percussion instrument) with dragon pattern 鎏金龙纹黄钟钟 (1st tone)
The twelve Chinese musical tones are arranged in the following sequence: Huangzhong (黃鍾 1st), Dalu (大呂 2nd), Taicu (太蔟 3rd), Jiazhong (夾鍾 4th), Guxi (姑洗 5th), Zhonglu (仲呂 6th), Ruibin (蕤賓 7th), Lingzhong (林鐘 8th), Yize (夷則 9th), Nanlu (南呂 10th), Wuyi (無射 11th), and Yingzhong (應鐘 12th). In Chinese musicology, the twelve main tones alternately provide a Yang, positive, and Yin, negative notes. The four repeated bells of lower octaves, making up the total of sixteen, are Pei Yize 倍夷則, Pei Nanlu 倍南呂, Pei Wuyi 倍無射, and Pei Yingzhong 倍應鐘. 2
The magnificent and highly detailed chiseling of the bell speaks for itself: this bianzhong is truly a superb example of Kangxi refinement. A twofaced dragon stands on top of the bell, its muscular body firmly standing on clawed legs, used to hang the bell from the wooden frame. This dragon is Pulao 蒲牢, one of the nine sons of the dragon, who was believed to be quite small in size but with a roar that could shake heaven and earth. Pulao was believed to roar particularly loudly when he saw a whale, and thus the instrument used to strike the bells is often shaped like a whale to suggest the loudest sound.3
The body of the bell is divided in three registers: the upper one holds a pattern of stylised clouds, so does the lower one, with added perfectly round medallions, where the bell is hit to produce the sound.4 The height of the bells in a set does not vary, only the thickness.
In between, the dragon’s bodies chasing the pearl among swirls of clouds unfurls, revealing glistening scales chiseled to perfection. The bells were cast from bronze then hand finished to achieve precisely the right pitch before being gilded.
taken from Shanghai Museum website
A pair of Kangxi bells with dragon decoration, dated to the 54th year, and inscribed as Jiazhong 4th tone and Wuyi 11th tone, were sold by Christie’s Hong Kong 27th May 2009, lot 1818. Another group dated to the 54th year of Kangxi (1715); bearing the 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th and 12th tones from the C. Ruxton and Audrey B. Love collection, were sold at Christie’s New York, 20 October 2004, lot 456, while another bell dated to the 54th year of Kangxi and inscribed Wuyi (11th tone, or A-sharp), was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 April 1999, lot 520.5 Therefore, it can be deduced that more than one set were produced and distributed as part of a standardisation by Emperor Kangxi.
Gold Double Dragon Knob Bianzhong Bells with Dragon and Cloud Motifs 金双龙纽云龙纹编钟（两件）
Gold ware | 55th year of Qianlong reign (1790), Qing | The Palace Museum collection. 鎏金铜器｜清乾隆五十五（1790年）｜北京故宫博物院藏
A carillon of bells bearing the marks「乾隆五十五年制」, “Made in 55th year of Qianlong reign” (1790), is in the Beijing Palace Museum collection. These examples are made of solid gold6, similar to an earlier set that was cast in the Kangxi reign. The Qianlong set was given to the Emperor by officials in celebration of the Emperor’s eightieth birthday.7
There were carillons of small bianzhong, measuring 15cm high, used for indoor ceremonies, carillons of large bianzhong measuring 30cm high, used for outdoor ceremonies, mainly military celebrations and carillons of medium bianzhong measuring 21cm high, for which the use has not yet been revealed.
The latter are extremely rare as only two complete sets of medium bianzhong are to be found in the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing. My theory is that these are birthdays gifts and therefore not designed to be musical instruments.
Bianzhong were essential in conducting Confucian ritual ceremonies at the Imperial altars, formal banquets and during processions. It has been noted that in 1741, the Qianlong Emperor set up a Music Division for court music and specified melodies of his choice for the various court functions that prevailed until the early 20th century
The bianzhong stand, called Sun Ju 簨篪, in the Qing Dynasty can be divided into three parts: Part one are three horizontal beams called Sǔn 簨; the lower two beams are used for hanging the bianzhong, with eight on each layer; the upper beam is carved with dragon heads at both ends, with five mythical birds (Jinluan 金鑾) inserted on it. The dragon’s head and the birds are decorated with colourful tassels; Part two is the two vertical columns connected to the horizontal beams. Part three are the two lions three sand the horizontal three; the third is the crouching lion 伏狮 and pedestal 趺 at the bottom of the column that acted as weight and base. 8
Many of these bells later appeared in auctions around the world and fetched really handsome prices for the collectors.13 Before you think that these were “stolen” from China during the Opium Wars or Cultural Revolution, think again. Many were “gifts” to “diplomats” by the Qing emperors during the last days of the feudal empire.
The Qianlong gold bianzhongs were on display at the Palace Museum as part of the 100th Anniversary exhibition. These bells were kept as collaterals for a loan by the ex-Imperial Court to Bank of Yanye 盐业银行 in 1921.14 They were recovered in 1949 and kept in the museum since. And since today is Christmas, lets us rejoice with a beautiful song by Loreena McKennitt, “The Bells of Christmas.”
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 :
- 清宫旧藏器，1921年被逊清皇室内务府抵押给盐业银行。清宫编钟一套十六圜、外形尺寸完全相同，而以钟体厚薄为次区分音高、钟休愈薄发音愈低，依次对应倍夷則、倍南呂、倍無射、倍應鐘、黃鐘、大呂、太簇、夾鐘、姑洗、仲呂、蕤賓、林鐘、夷則、南呂、無射、應鐘等清代乐律的四倍律、十二正律。Translated from Museum information card, Nov 2025 ↩︎
- http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Art/Music/music.html, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5947281, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- https://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2019/12/12/37860041.html, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5947281, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- The English museum information card said gilt bronze, while the Chinese ones said gold; Christie’s referred to an index Treasures of Imperial Court, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2004, that said it is gold. ↩︎
- Two of these, denoting the musical note Taicu (3rd tone) and Jiazhong (4th tone) are illustrated in Treasures of Imperial Court, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2004, pp. 6-7, no. 5. ↩︎
- 簨簴 (sǔn jù)
悬挂钟、磬的架子。横梁称簨，两侧立柱称簴。《礼记·明堂位》：“夏后氏之龙簨簴”。注：“簨簴，所以悬钟磬也。横曰簨，饰之以鳞属；植曰簴，饰之以蠃属，羽属。”清代簨簴可分为三个部分：其一为横向三簨，下二簨为悬钟之用，两层各八枚；上簨两端刻龙首，不挂钟，其上插五只金鸾，龙首与金鸾俱衔五彩流苏；其二为纵向二簨，主要起支柱作用，与横向三簨相连；其三为纵簨下端伏狮与趺，主要起承载和稳固之用。在簨簴的表面，俱用金涂饰。https://www.dpm.org.cn/collection/music/232163.html, accessed 20 Nov 2025 ↩︎ - 鐘圓體，中空，腰部稍大，小口齊平，頂飾交龍鈕。鐘體滿鏨紋飾，兩道弦紋把整體分開三層，上滿飾朵雲紋；主體中層飾雙龍戲珠紋輔雲紋，正中長方形框中鑄陽文楷書律名「南呂」，背面鑄「乾隆八年製」款；下部鑄八個音乳，以供敲擊之用，音乳以對稱角雲紋相間。
來源
俄羅斯醫生家族舊藏，其於1900-1902 間在 華行醫，並因其貢獻而獲清政府頒發執照 及三等第一寶星。後於家族流傳至今 https://www.christies.com.cn/zh/lot/lot-5902845?ldp_breadcrumb=back, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎ - 此件編鐘與香港佳士得於2008 年5 月27 日拍賣的一件「仲呂」編鐘原為一套（圖四）。https://www.christies.com.cn/zh/lot/lot-5902845?ldp_breadcrumb=back, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE ‘DRAGON’ RITUAL BELL, BIANZHONG
KANGXI CAST MARKS, CORRESPONDING TO 1716, AND OF THE PERIOD
The bell is exquisitely cast with a handle shaped as a pair of dragons. Each beast is powerfully modelled with its mouth open to reveal its tongue between sharp fangs, with two long horns extending back over its head along a finely incised mane, and the large claws clutching the barrel-shaped body of the bell. The sides of the bell are finely cast in high relief around the mid-section, depicting two further dragons striding amidst cloud scrolls and waves clutching a flaming pearl, divided by two rectangular panels, one inscribed with the characters Kangxi wu shi wu nian zhi, ‘Made in the 55th year of Kangxi reign’, and the other with the characters pei (usually pronounced as bei) nan lu, indicating that this is one of the bells for lower octaves.
12 in. (30.5 cm.) high
PROVENANCE
From a private German collection, acquired in the early 20th century.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5947281, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎ - 清康熙 御製鎏金銅交龍鈕雲龍紋「無射」、「夾鐘」編鐘各一枚 鑄《康熙五十四年製》楷書銘款 此兩枚編鐘為日本優彩庵之舊藏，二十世紀初購為館藏。A prominent Japanese collection acquired in the early 20th century. The Yousaian Collection, Japan https://www.christies.com.cn/lot/an-exceptionally-rare-pair-of-imperial-gilt-bronze-5200605/?intObjectID=5200605&lid=3, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- There are two groups of five dated to the Kangxi period from the C.Ruxton and Audrey B. Love collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 20 October 2004, lots 455 and 456. The first, with an inscription dated to the 52nd year of Kangxi (1713); bearing the 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th tone respectively. The second group dated to the 54th year of Kangxi (1715); bearing the 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th and 12th tone respectively. Another wushi (11th) tone bell from the 52nd year of the Kangxi period from the Lord and Lady Hesketh collection was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 9 October 2007, lot 1327; and another wushi bell dated to the 54th year of Kangxi was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 April 1999, lot 520. https://www.christies.com.cn/zh/lot/lot-5902845?ldp_breadcrumb=back, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 北京故宮博物院藏有一套十六枚、曾被末代皇帝溥儀抵押給銀行的黃金編鐘，其紋飾與本鐘大至相同，上鑄「乾隆五十五年製」銘款，為乾隆帝八十大壽而鑄。https://www.christies.com.cn/zh/lot/lot-5902845?ldp_breadcrumb=back, accessed 19 Nov 2025 ↩︎
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