At the recent exhibition Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900 held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, US, two exquisite artifacts from the Liaoning Provincial Museum — the Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession of the Northern Song Dynasty and the Dasheng Bell, note “Nanlyu Zhongsheng” — made a stunning debut. Displayed alongside over a hundred remarkable bronze treasures from around the world, these two Chinese cultural relics offer a distinctive perspective on the evolution of bronze artistry in China, where tradition and innovation intertwined throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
This exhibition is one of the most significant showcases of Chinese bronzeware from these dynasties both at home and abroad in recent years. Among the nearly 60 pieces from China, the two belong to the Liaoning Provincial Museum’s collection, classified as National First Grade Cultural Relics, exemplifying the refined craftsmanship of ancient Chinese bronzework. “This marks the first time overseas exhibition of these two artifacts,” said Wang Xiaowen, Director of the Liaoning Provincial Museum.
The Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession of the Northern Song Dynasty stands 1.84 meters tall with a diameter of 0.81 meters. Cast during the Xuanhe period under Emperor Huizong’s reign, this bell vividly portrays the grandeur of imperial rituals of the Song court. Notably, it also features a panoramic landscape of the Northern Song territory. The bell has a perfectly circular shape and a barrel-like structure. Its surface is divided into six sections by bow-strings. The top section, forming a hemispherical dome, is adorned with a double-dragon knob. The second, third, and fourth sections feature raised reliefs of imperial military processions and palace guards. The fifth section presents a landscape of mountains, trees, pavilions, and human figures, while the sixth section portrays waves, immortals, and Chinese dragons.
The Dasheng Bell is 27.5 centimeters tall, 18 centimeters wide, and weighs approximately 6 kilograms. It is an oval-shaped musical instrument with a form reminiscent of Warring States Period chime bells. The shaft features an intertwined double kui-dragon motif with 36 studs adorning its two sides. The surface is decorated with coiled serpent patterns. The front of the bell is inscribed with the two-character “Dasheng” (大晟) in seal script, and the reverse bears the four-character phrase “Nanlyu Zhongsheng” (南吕中声) at the center of the sound-producing area. The bell is massive in form, embodying primitive simplicity and elegant grace. The term Dasheng refers to the Dashengfu, an imperial music bureau established by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty to regulate court music. Nanlyu Zhongsheng indicates the bell’s pitch. This chime bell was cast in the capital city between the third and fourth years of the Chongning period (1104-1105) under Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. A complete Dasheng Bell Set consisted of 12 bells, arranged in two tiers on an elaborate stand adorned with crouching beasts at the base and feathered ornaments at the top. The varying sizes of the bells produced a range of pitches. The bell is one of the 20 Dasheng bells that have survived to the present. As a relic of the Jingkang Incident (the 1127 invasion of the Northern Song capital by the Jurchen Jin Dynasty), it serves as a valuable historical witness, offering crucial insights into the Song Dynasty court music, bronze instruments, and the cultural interactions between the Song and Jin dynasties.
According to Wang Xiaowen, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has been actively engaging in international exhibitions and cultural exchanges in recent years. Since September 2024, its collections have been featured in three overseas exhibitions. In September 2024, the museum hosted exhibition named Gold from Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan from Liaoning, 337-436 in New York, marking the first-ever overseas exhibition dedicated to the Three Yan Culture, showcasing rare archaeological discoveries over the past 70 years from Chaoyang, Liaoning. In December 2024, the museum presented exhibition Ming Dynasty Calligraphy and Paintings: Masterpieces from Liaoning Provincial Museum at the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum in South Korea. This marks the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Chinese calligraphy and paintings of the Ming Dynasty in South Korea, offering a rare opportunity for South Korean audiences to appreciate Ming Dynasty calligraphy and paintings and deepen their understanding of Chinese art and culture. Now, two National First Grade Cultural Relics from Liaoning Museum’s collection — the Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession of the Northern Song Dynasty and the Dasheng Bell — are exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. These artifacts not only allow audiences to appreciate China’s artistic and historical achievements through artifacts but also foster a deeper reflection on civilization itself. This exhibition showcases the splendor of Chinese cultural relics in global exchanges while presenting China’s international image as a nation of profound historical legacy, cultural sophistication and inclusive openness.
