Here’s a beautiful and unique way to accent your indoor or outdoor garden space with this treasure from Japan!

This is a superb antique solid bronze casting of a wonderful medium to large-scale temple bell, Bonsho. This bell was sourced from an old Kyoto Japanese collection recently, It dates to the end of the Meiji period and displays an impressive blue azurite patina with traces or original gold gilding- very unusual for bells of this age and quality. These bells were often commissioned by wealthy families and donated as sacred gifts to temples and shrines on behalf of their family or in honor of a special family member.

This bell possesses a beautiful original old patina which highlights this 100-150 year old temple relic.

Dimension: 19 inches high and 11.5 inches diameter.

Tone: Beautiful when struck with striker, we will include a wooden striker as well

Quality: Fine aged patina with beautiful blue azurite patina and trace of gold gilding are visible. Heavy hand cast.

This bell is a hard to find in this size; most found today are larger and heavier in scale.

Hand cast. Make wonderful garden accents.

When struck, long pleasant resonating sound.

History of Japan’s temple bells:

Rather than containing a clapper, bonsho is struck from the outside, using either a handheld mallet or a beam suspended on ropes. Antique Japanese bronze temple bells have a handle of dragon heads called ryuzu, protrusions called chi chi or nyu and to improve resonance of sound, protruding, tsuki-za, striking panels and in some instances possess a mei-bun inscription of the bell’s history. Bonsho or Buddhist bells known as tsurigane (hanging bells) or great bells are large bells found in Buddhist temples throughout Japan, used to summon the monks to prayer.