국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

Highlights
Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun (Bronze Instruments with End Bells)
  • Nationality/Period

    Early Iron Age

  • Provenance

    Hwasun-gun

  • Materials

    Metal - Copper Alloy

  • Category

    religion - Folk belief - Belief of the village - twin bells

  • Dimensions

    L. 15.0cm

  • Designation

    National Treasure 143-3

  • Accession Number

    Sinsu 2581

These bronze hand bells dating from the Bronze Age were unearthed from the archaeological site in Daegok-ri of Dogok-myeon, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do. Shaped like dumbbells, these bells have spherical bells at the ends, each of which contains a round bronze pallet inside. The surface of the bells is decorated with short slanted lines and four long slits. Bronze hand bells such as these are usually unearthed in pairs, suggesting that they were ritual instruments that would have been held in each hand of the person ringing them.