Buddhist Ritual Bell
Unknown Artist
1300s
Medium
bronze; with incised designs
Dimensions
17.8 × 6.6 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mitsuru Tajima
Accession Number
1998.123
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This Buddhist ritual bell is called the "five-pronged" bell due to the four prongs bending toward a central prong at the end of the handle. This shape is a vajra, or lightning bolt, a powerful and important symbol in esoteric Buddhism, which originated in India, spread across Asia, and was practiced in Korea.