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- DESCRIPTION OF THE CHINESE BELL IN VICTORIA
The iron bell in Victoria is elegantly proportioned, slightly squared at the shoulders, and flares at the sides down to the mouth or sound bow in the form of eight petals or lobes. It is covered with 27 seam marks, which reveal its casting method.
The bell is surmounted by a standing dragon with a head on either end and a cast seam running down the centre. The dragon faces appear almost human, but the scaly body reveals its mythical nature. This ornament serves as the suspension loop for the bell when attached to a beam.
The dome of the bell has four large holes which would apparently prevent fracture when struck with the ramrod and improve the tone of the bell. The shoulders of the bell are covered with eight double-line lotus petals, each containing a flower in the centre. The lotus is the symbol of Buddhism; and therefore, a common decorative motif on Buddhist ritual objects.
Beneath the petals are two wide bands of Chinese characters divided in sections by cast seams. Between the inscriptions are two rows of dots in relief.
Victoria's Chinese bell, now housed at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
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