Jingoji Temple: Bell
Bronze
Jingoji Temple: Bell - Inscription (detail)
Jingoji Temple: Bell
JAPAN, Kyoto; Heian period
Located in the bell tower of Jingoji Temple, this bell measures 149 cm high and 80.3 cm in diameter at the mouth. It weighs 900 kg. Due to its elegant appearance and beautiful sound, it is regarded as one of the Three Great Bells of Japan. The bell has three unique features: a dedication by Tachibana Hiromi, a passage by Sugawara no Koreyoshi, and calligraphy by Fujiwara no Toshiyuki. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1952.
According to the inscription, the bell was cast on the wishes of Shinsho, the abbot of Zenrinji Temple, to replace the small bell in Jingoji Temple. The inscription records information such as the origin, donors, authors, year, and weight of the bell, making it one of the most detailed inscriptions found on a bell in Japan.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts, page 148.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youji and Pokorski, Stefanie and Mankuang and Fan, Wen,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts },
pages = 148,
title = {{Jingoji Temple: Bell}},
volume = 18,
year = {2016}}