China

Tiger bells are of the A type, some of a probably local variation.

China (not certain)

Group: Unknown

One tiger bell, type A, but unusually large, picture placed on Flickr (adress: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24603840@N04/3578911414/), by John Cornelius. He writes:

(The bell).. was in a box of miscellaneous stuff I came across in a basement in Rochester NY USA, in the 1970s. The owner of the property had no information about it and let me have it, as I had an interest in it.

The "face" is about 6.5 cm wide and the "side" view is about 5.5 cm deep. From the top of the handle to the bottom of the bell is about 7.5 cm.

I did show it to a curator of Chinese art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. He thought it might be more likely from the south of Asia (Philippines / Indonesia?) but it was just a guess.

This tiger bell has several interesting features. First of all the size:
the bell is larger than all other reported type A tiger bells.

The holes at the sides are not seen with other tiger bells.

The 'Wang' character is present; other Chinese characters are replaced by
what propably are floral motives. All pictures courtesy: John Cornelius

The various design elements are clearly the same as with the other type A tiger bells. The size of the bell is however uncommon. I have seen bells this size, with a tiger's face as decoration but not in the style from the tiger bells, used as door bells, in a Chinese shop in Bangkok. Probably this bell was used as a door bell too. Considering the good condition of the bell, its age could probably be not more than 100 to 150 years old.

North East China (formerly Inner Mongolia)

Group: Unknown
Several tiger bells, both type A and B, on shaman's headdress. On the front: 1 type A tiger bell and possibly 2 smaller type A bells, on the back, 2 tiger bells type B.

One large tiger bell, behind an ordinary crotal bell, in the background on the left,
out of focus, one or two smaller tiger bells.

Collection: People's Museum in Tungliau, in a documentary film on shamanism produced by Columbine film, Copenhagen, title in Dutch: Trommels van onthechting (1986). Tiger bells are of the A type, in sizes varying from about 2 to 4 cm, and the larger type B.

Group: Solon
More than 60 type A tiger bells in different sizes, on a shaman costume; 25 tiger bells on the collar, 36 on the caftan, one or two on the stick.
Collection: Danish National Museum, Copenhagen.

lllustration courtesy Danish National Museum, Copenhagen

Detail of the Solon costume; still frame of the documentary 'Trommels van onthechting'
courtesy: Columbine films, Copenhagen and the Danish National Museum, Copenhagen

Group: Chahar, Barga
One, probably three type A tiger bells, on a shaman costume (drawing is not very clear).
Collection: Danish National Museum, Copenhagen

lllustration courtesy Danish National Museum, Copenhagen

Both costumes were collected in 1938.

China (mainland)

Group unknown, local variation

For sale on E-bay by antique dealer Thethe Dragon, from South Korea. According to the seller the bell is from the Qing (or Tj'ing) dynastie (1644-1911), from the period between 1850 and 1899. This is more or less the same period as given for the tiger bell reported in Nanking (see below), the Kwang Hsu period. This bell is fairly large: appr. 6 cm x 5,5 cm. (2.75” x 2.25”) and is made of bronze. The 'Wang' character is missing and the overall design is very different from the usual type A tiger bells. See also the bells from Syria and New York. No further details available.

Reported by Amy Amalzamar in february 2008

The face is very different from the usual tiger bells

The square hoop and Chinese characters are present

Group: Unknown, probably common locally
Four tiger bells, on a brightly colored woven belt. Bells and belt look recently made. No further details available.

In the Leyden Ethnological Museum, procured in 1976.

Belt with four bells

The bells

One tiger bell, roughly made. In an antique shop in Nanking. According to the shop owner the bell dates from the Kuang Hsu dynasty (1875-1908). There were more bells like this one but no further information.

Reported and donated to the author in 1986 by Annemarieke Koch.

One tiger bell, seen in the Regional Museum 'House of Kanton' in Kanton, on a jacket, similar to the bell from the antique shop. No details were available.
Reported in 1986 by Annemarieke Koch.

Four tiger bells, type A, in a bundle. Collected by a missionary of the SVD mission, place and time uncertain but probably Ch'ing tao (South Shantung) at the end of the 19th century.

The bells have a width of 2.7 cm. and a height of 2.1 cm. No further information available.
In the Mission museum, Steyl, (Limburg, the Netherlands)

Jane Po, Berkeley bought one type A tiger bell in Hongkong and reports (January '96):

...I bought [the bell] from an old curio shop on the Guangdong border, thinking that it looked like some ancient Pacman. It's about 3 1/2" around. It's attached to an old handbeaten heavy double-link bronze chain. The chain doesn't look like it's of Chinese origin, though. No further information was available.

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Tiger bells in China

China