Following Christie’s Hong Kong’s sales in 2008 and 2015, there are now two Chinese ritual bells (Bianzhong) which dated Qianlong 8th year to be auctioned again. They are Huangzhong and Ruibin bells – the two lots with highest estimate at Bonhams New York’s “Chinese Works of Art and Paintings” sale.

Bianzhong was essential at rituals and ceremonies in ancient China, usually came in sets of 16 which produced 12 musical notes and 4 additional notes. The two gilt bronze ritual bells at this sale are both surmounted by a pair of crouching dragons, intricately worked with scaled backs. The concave sides are casted with a pair of writhing dragons striding amidst clouds above a band of rolling waves. One side has an incised dated reign mark reading Qianlong ba nian zhi, which means dated Qianlong 8th year, while the other side has characters of Huangzhong or Ruibin in high relief. Around the base, there are eight circular striking discs.

Among the 12 musical notes, Huangzhong is the 1st, and Ruibin is the 7th. The Ruibin bell has thicker walls with higher pitch, while the Huangzhong bell has thinner walls with lower tone. These two bells are of the same size, but of different thickness, suggesting they are from the same set. Two other bells which also dated Qianlong 8th year were sold in Christie’s Hong Kong. One inscribed Zhonglu (the 6th note) was sold in 2008 for around HK$32.8million (buyer’s premium included), another one inscribed Nanlu was sold in 2015 for around HK$17.4million (buyer’s premium included). It is possible that these 4 bells are from the same set.

Auction Details

Auction House: Bonhams New York
Sale: Chinese Works of Art and Paintings
Sale No.: 23984
No. of Lot: 158
Viewing: 2017/3/9-12  10am-5pm
Sale Time: 2017/3/13 12pm

Top lots

A RARE AND IMPORTANT IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE RITUAL ‘HUANGZHONG’ BELL, BIANZHONG
Qianlong mark and of the period, dated Qianlong 8th year, corresponding to 1743

Lot no.: 2101
Height: 21cm
Weight: 5.425kg
Estimate: US$600,000 - 1,000,000

A RARE AND IMPORTANT IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE RITUAL ‘RUIBIN’ BELL, BIANZHONG
Qianlong mark and of the period, dated Qianlong 8th year, corresponding to 1743

Lot no.: 2102
Height: 21cm
Weight: 6.545kg
Estimate: US$600,000 - 1,000,000

WU CHANGSHUO (1844-1927) Peony, Narcissus and Magnolia, 1916

Lot no.: 2071
Dimension: 128.3 x 127.4cm
Estimate: US$150,000 - 200,000