Prayer Bell (Lontjeng) (One of a Pair) / Artist Unknown, Indonesia, Java
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About this Item
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.)
- Century
- 16th-17th century
- 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.
- Secondary Keywords
- hollow-bodied
- associated concepts
- bells and sets of bells
- biological components
- buddhism
- buddhist doctrinal concepts
- chordophones
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- directly struck idiophones
- doctrinal concepts
- heads
- objects
- objects we use
- people and culture
- people and occupations
- percussion idiophones
- prayer
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- religious concepts
- religious figures
- saint
- sound devices
- sound devices by acoustical characteristics
- struck idiophones
- the human body
- upper body
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- 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
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
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- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1957-SL-2.53:1957_2.53.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"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 June 18, 2024.