Object class: Struck idiophones / Collection place: Asia / Materials: Iron (metal) - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Object class Struck idiophones Collection place Asia Materials Iron (metal)

Hearst Museum object titled Bell, accession number 9-13387, described as Gong; sm. bronze gong w/3 triangular extensions at base,each turned up at end;3 lobed hanging loop;iron hardware below loop;iron hardwarebelow loop; h.not including loop 11.5 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Broken ghanta bell, accession number 9-21903a,b, described as This is an old ghanta bell with a handle of gilded bronze. The bell is made of a five metal alloy to produce a rich, full sound. The bell is badly cracked and the upper part of the bell, below where the handle joins, is completely broken. The striker shows a pattern of wear associated with many years of constant use.The ghanta bell is used in most Tantric rituals. It is held in the left hand and the matched vajra is held in the right. The matching vajra to this ghanta is not present in the collection. It would match upper part of the ghanta handle. The ghanta embodies the feminine principle in Tantric usage, and the vajra is the masculine. The ghanta holds the principle of ultimate wisdom and the vajra, the principle of ultimate compassion and skillful means.Ghanta bells in this collection are numbers: T-23; T-63; T-66; T-67; & T-85