Angkorian Elephant bell in bronze

Description

This bronze piece comes from Cambodia and is dated from the 11th-13th century, which coincides with the Angkorian period of the powerful and well-known Khmer Empire. This piece is a bell with an x-shaped opening, containing a bronze ball in its heart. This bell was used to adorn the neck of a war elephant during festivals or religious ceremonies and produce a bright jingle when the animal moved. Numerous representations of these instruments can still be seen on temple reliefs, and other similar pieces have been found during archaeological excavations. These bells, whose size was adapted, also adorned other animals such as horses and cows. This impressive bell has two circles in relief that hold the object away from the elephant’s skin, allowing the ball to resonate with the animal’s movements. This sublime instrument is nicely decorated with subtle floral patterns on the x-shaped opening

Condition report:

The piece is in very good condition.