Pair of bronze bells dating from the Eastern Zhou Period (770 -221BC) and adorned with ‘nipples’ and ‘Tao Tieh’ monster masks. Originally they were hung from a lacquered wooden frame. The large bell still has a marking on its side which shows that it has been standing askew in the mud. Depending on the rank in Chinese nobility but according to very strict rules, two or more bells were allowed as funerary items. These two are a pair so they may have belonged to the higher gentry. The largest bell has a height of 31 cm while the small one is 21 cm high.