Prayer Bell (Lontjeng) (One of a Pair) / Artist Unknown, Indonesia, Java

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Record Details

Accession Number
1957/2.53
Title
Prayer Bell (Lontjeng) (One of a Pair)
Artist Nationality
Javanese
Medium and Support
bronze
Object Creation Date
16th century - 17th century
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
Indonesia (nation)
Jawa (island)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
Indonesia (nation)
Creation Place 3
Jawa (island)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Dimensions
30.1 cm x 11.2 cm x 11.2 cm (11 7/8 in. x 4 7/16 in. x 4 7/16 in.)
Primary Object Classification
Metalwork
Primary Object Type
bell
Secondary Object Classification
Ritual Objects
Secondary Object Type
bell
Physical Description
This is one of a pair of Javanese bells. A talon-like vajra sits atop the bronze handle. Lotus petals decorate the base, and the faces encircling the the bell above them depict Prajnaparamita, the bodhisattva aspect of “Perfection of Wisdom.”
Subject Matter
The vajra is a Buddhist symbol representing a thunderbolt and the diamond. The thunderbolt is meant to recall the lightning strike experience of enlightenment the historical Buddha experienced while meditating under a bodhi tree, while the diamond indicates indestructibility.
Combined with a bell, symbolic of the womb, the vajra bell signifies the indestructible rooting out of ignorance. The bell, with its hollow form, symbolizes wisdom acknowledging emptiness, while the clapper vocalizes the very sound of emptiness.
Some Buddhist deities are depicted holding vajra in one hand and bell in the other, indicating a union of the forces of compassion (vajra) and wisdom (bell), as well as male and female. The five prongs of the vajra remind the practitioner of the five wisdoms: wisdom of individuality, mirror-like wisdom, reality wisdom, wisdom of equanimity, and all-accomplishing wisdom.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
496 x 1000
File Size
41 KB
Record
1957/2.53
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1957-sl-2.53/1957_2.53.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1957-SL-2.53:1957_2.53.JPG

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"Prayer Bell (Lontjeng) (One of a Pair); Artist Unknown, Indonesia, Java." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1957-sl-2.53/1957_2.53.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 19, 2024.
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