Ancient Chinese bells

"What is it?"

Thats a frequent question visitors to our home ask pointing to the rows of bells.

But those with a knowledge of Chinese history recognize it immediately as a replica of ancient Chinese bronze bells which have an important part in Chinese history going back over 2,500 years.

This set was given us by a visiting Chinese student. She had carried it all the way back from her home in her luggage and brought it as a gift to us in Scotland.

We were deeply touched by this gesture.

There is a Chinese bell in the British Museum, the size of a beer keg, and Neil McGregor used it in his series "A History of the World in a Hundred Objects" to discuss Confucian ideas of an harmonious society and the place of music .

He said music is a metaphor for a harmonious society and bells carry great resonance for Chinese people.


It is significant that a specially composed piece of music "Heaven , Earth, Mankind " were played on a set of ancient bells in the handing over ceremony of Hong Kong to China in 1997 while the British contribution was a bugle playing "The Last Post".