Engakuji Temple: Bell

JAPAN, Kanagawa, Kamakura; Kamakura period

This bell was cast in 1301 on the orders of the ninth Kamakura regent, Hojo Sadatoki (reigned 1272–1311) to pray for the peace of the nation and the prosperity of the Hojo family and the Kamakura Shogunate. There were over 1,500 donors, and it was created by master bellfounder, Mononobe Kunimitsu. The largest bell in Kamakura, it is 259 cm high, 142 cm in diameter, and 14.8 cm thick. Inscriptions written by Chinese monk Xijian Zitan, the abbot of Engakuji Temple, appear on the body of the bell. It was listed as a National Treasure of Japan in 1953.
The crown of the bell has a carving of a dragon holding the top of the bell in its mouth. The dragon has a large head and an upright crest, with a flaming jewel decorating its neck. The bell curves gently from the shoulder towards the rim. A ring of floating cloud patterns decorates the bell’s shoulder, and there is a band with scroll leaf patterns near the rim. Around the upper part of the bell are four panels of studs arranged in six rows and six columns, below which are inscriptions. The raised boss features eight lotus petals with nine lotus seeds inside.