Various types

Tiger bells: various types

Tiger bell type A, from Mindanao, the Philippines

Design

Tiger bells made of bronze. They differ from other bells because of several characteristics:

Musicologically they belong to the group of jingle bells or crotal bells: they have a hollow, globularly shaped body in which a small pellet of metal or stone (hence the also often used term pellet bell) is held. When the bell is shaken, the pellet hits the inside surface and thus the bells sounds. The bells have an opening, usually a split in the lower side of the body which lets the hollow body act as a resonator. The hoop for suspending the bell is very often square, sometimes round.

The characteristic that makes the tiger bells really stand out from other bells is the design. It is evidently a face with large eyes, a nose and a mouth or beak. Our first association was that of frogs' head. Later, on a catalogue card of the Ethnological Museum in Leyden describing the bells on a baby carrier from the Kajan in Kalimantan, there is a quote from Prof. J J. M. de Groot saying that the face is a snake's head. According to him the Chinese characters on the 'forehead' could mean 'The Hing Company'. He had seen these characters on the bells from the Lanun in Sulawesi (Indonesia) .

On other bells bels with the face-design other characters appear. We find these characters on both sides, in the center of the top half of the bell. Very often these characters have been corrupted by the casting process or are just meaningless scribbles. Around the characters and around the eyes and nose we find curls and curves.

On the 'forehead' there is a Chinese character , the character 'Wang'. It means 'emperor, royal' and is usually found on Chinese representations of tiger's heads such as this toy tiger.

Russian ethnologist Sieroszewski gives us in 1914 an account of the meaning of the coat ornamentation, which he heard from an old Yakut. On the bells on the costume he says:

Hobo, copper bells without tongues, suspended below the collar; like a crow's egg in size and shape and having on the tipper part a drawing of a fish's head. They are tied to the leather straps or to the metal loops.

Since the Wang character already occurs on a bronze statue of a tiger in the Chinese Chou-period (appr.500 B.C.) and because this character is very consistent with the tiger's head as a design through the centuries I decided to call these bells tiger bells to distinguish them from other brass bells. But for reasons just as good they could be called fish bells, frog bells or snake bells. However since I introduced the term tiger bell in 1976, it is quite widely used and now occurs in many web pages. Therefore I will continue to use the term tiger bell until it is more correct to use another name.

Bronze statue of a tiger, the 'Wang' character on its forehead
Middle Chou (946 - 600 B.C.); collection: Freer Gallery,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Courtesy: Orientations Magazine, April 1972

Various types

Tiger bells vary in shape, size and design. The majority of the bells belong to one of four type groups: type A, type B, type C and type D. Some variations exist but their number is too small to identify them as a separate type.

Type A

Use
Type A tiger bells occur over a wide area and are used in many different ways, as a dance attribute (Pakistan, southern Philippines), as an amulet for adults, children and sometimes animals (goats and sheep in Afghanistan, cats with the Minangkabau in Sumatra, dogs in Tibet). There is a strong link between tiger bells and shamanism. Shamans in Kalimantan, Sarawak, Mongolia, former Inner Mongolia and South Siberia have type A tiger bells in their costumes and paraphernalia. Shamans from Tibet and Nepal use type B and type C tiger bells. One shaman's costume of the Solon (former Inner Mongolia) is decorated with over 60 type A tiger bells of various sizes.

There are just a few records from mainland China. The examples known are from the 19th century, and a belt, most likely from one of the ethnic minorities in China.

In recent years new tiger bells are produced, sometimes copies of old type A tiger bells, sometimes vatiations inspired by the type A tiger bell. These bells are produced for trade to be sold to members of local Chinese communities and to tourists. So far they are reported in shops in Singapore, New York and Amsterdam.

Set of four bells, collected in China, Steyl Mission Museum

Size and dimensions
Type A tiger bells occur in many sizes, from about 2.5 cm. to about 5 cm. in width. Larger bells, up to more than 6 cm. are used by the Iban. Very often the hoop is square or rectangular but there are type A tiger bells with round hoops (see the shaman's belt from Kalimantan).

Bell with diameter over 5 cm., Iban (Sarawak)

One tiger bell, possibly from China, has a diameter of more than 6 cm. This is however an exeception.

A relatively large tiger bell

Several type A tiger bells are probably locally and newly made with variations in the design (as in Nepal, Syria and China). These variations could occur because the producer did not recognise the Chinese characters and considered them as meaningless, or possibly floral motifs. Because of the whiskers, the face on the Syrian bell and one of the Chinese bells bell looks more like a cat.

Small tiger bell with whiskers, probably from China

In side view the height of the bell is smaller than its width. This sets them apart from the bells of type B and type C of which the height is larger than the width.

Left: side view of type A Right: side view of type B

Type A bell from Turkey

Type B

Bells from this group occur in large numbers on the southeast Asian mainland. Until now there are reports from Thailand, Tibet, Nepal, Bangladesh and possibly former Inner Mongolia (China), Laos and Assam (Nagaland). In Thailand (Bangkok) these bells are sometimes painted gold. They have the following characteristics:

Type B tiger bells are roughly the size of an egg. The 'Wang' character on the 'forehead', so typical for the A type tiger bells, is missing. On the top half we can distinguish Chinese characters, sometimes one, sometimes two. The surrounding curls and curves are not always there. The hoop is always round.

Use
Tiger bells of type B bells occur by the hundreds. In Bangkok they can be bought in many handicraft and antique shops. They come 'from the north' but it is not clear what place or region that is. It is likely that these tiger bells are still produced.

Type B tiger bells are used in many ways. In the Tibetan market in New Delhi (India) belts for yaks and horses with 10 to 12 of these bells were sold. One shopkeeper in Bangkok told me these bells were used as doorknobs. Nepalese and Tibetan shamans wear these bells on a chain across the chest as part of their costume. Type B bells of a smaller size are used as dog bells in Tibet and northern Thailand.

Size and dimensions
These bells are large with diameters varying from about 3.5 cm. to 4.5 cm. and heights from 3.7 cm. to 5 cm. or more.

Type C

These bells occur mainly in Nepal and Tibet. They have the following characteristics:

Typical C type bell from Nepal

Type C bells have the shape of B bells but are smaller. On most bells we see the 'Wang' character, although sometimes corrupted. In general the eyes are more bulging than with the other types. Also the lines of the design and the Chinese characters are thick and relatively high on the surface of the bell. The hoop is always rectangular with rounded corners. One handicraft shop owner in Kathmandu, Nepal, told me that bells of this type were being produced in a workshop in Dehra Dun (Uttar Pradesh, near the border with Himachal Pradesh).

Use
Many of these bells are sold as souvenirs in handicraft and ethnography shops. They occur in larger numbers on belts for horses and yaks. On chest chains worn by shamans they are sometimes found together with other bells.

Size and dimensions
The size of the C type bells is rather consistent: a width of about 3.4 cm. and a height of about 3.8 cm.

Type D

These tiger bells are only reported in Vietnam, Burma and possibly Laos. They have the following characteristics:

Horse bells, Fou tribe, Vietnam

Type D bells are more or less similar to smaller type A bells. The 'Wang' character is missing and the design is less detailed. The bronze of these bells has a dark, almost black patina.

The bells are used as horse bells (in Vietnam) and as a musical instrument (in Burma).

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Tiger bells: various types Tiger bell type A, from Mindanao, the Philippines Design Tiger bells made of bronze. They differ from other bells because of several characteristics: Musicologically they belong to the group of jingle bells or crotal bells: they have a hollow, globularly shaped body in which a small pellet of metal or stone (hence the also often used term pellet bell) is held. When the bell is shaken, the pellet hits the inside surface and thus the bells sounds. The bells have an opening, usually a split in the lower side of the body which lets the hollow body act as a resonator. The hoop for suspending the bell is very often square, sometimes round. The characteristic that makes the tiger bells really stand out from other bells is the design. It is evidently a face with large eyes, a nose and a mouth or beak. Our first association was that of frogs' head. Later, on a catalogue card of the Ethnological Museum in Leyden describing the bells on a baby carrier from the Kajan in Kalimantan, there is a quote from Prof. J J. M. de Groot saying that the face is a snake's head. According to him the Chinese characters on the 'forehead' could mean 'The Hing Company'. He had seen these characters on the bells from the Lanun in Sulawesi (Indonesia) . On other bells bels with the face-design other characters appear. We find these characters on both sides, in the center of the top half of the bell. Very often these characters have been corrupted by the casting process or are just meaningless scribbles. Around the characters and around the eyes and nose we find curls and curves. On the 'forehead' there is a Chinese character , the character 'Wang'. It means 'emperor, royal' and is usually found on Chinese representations of tiger's heads such as this toy tiger. Russian ethnologist Sieroszewski gives us in 1914 an account of the meaning of the coat ornamentation, which he heard from an old Yakut. On the bells on the costume he says: Hobo, copper bells without tongues, suspended below the collar; like a crow's egg in size and shape and having on the tipper part a drawing of a fish's head. They are tied to the leather straps or to the metal loops. Since the Wang character already occurs on a bronze statue of a tiger in the Chinese Chou-period (appr.500 B.C.) and because this character is very consistent with the tiger's head as a design through the centuries I decided to call these bells tiger bells to distinguish them from other brass bells. But for reasons just as good they could be called fish bells, frog bells or snake bells. However since I introduced the term tiger bell in 1976, it is quite widely used and now occurs in many web pages. Therefore I will continue to use the term tiger bell until it is more correct to use another name. Bronze statue of a tiger, the 'Wang' character on its forehead Middle Chou (946 - 600 B.C.); collection: Freer Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Courtesy: Orientations Magazine, April 1972 Various types Tiger bells vary in shape, size and design. The majority of the bells belong to one of four type groups: type A, type B, type C and type D. Some variations exist but their number is too small to identify them as a separate type. Type A Use Type A tiger bells occur over a wide area and are used in many different ways, as a dance attribute (Pakistan, southern Philippines), as an amulet for adults, children and sometimes animals (goats and sheep in Afghanistan, cats with the Minangkabau in Sumatra, dogs in Tibet). There is a strong link between tiger bells and shamanism. Shamans in Kalimantan, Sarawak, Mongolia, former Inner Mongolia and South Siberia have type A tiger bells in their costumes and paraphernalia. Shamans from Tibet and Nepal use type B and type C tiger bells. One shaman's costume of the Solon (former Inner Mongolia) is decorated with over 60 type A tiger bells of various sizes. There are just a few records from mainland China. The examples known are from the 19th century, and a belt, most likely from one of the ethnic minorities in China. In recent years new tiger bells are produced, sometimes copies of old type A tiger bells, sometimes vatiations inspired by the type A tiger bell. These bells are produced for trade to be sold to members of local Chinese communities and to tourists. So far they are reported in shops in Singapore, New York and Amsterdam. Set of four bells, collected in China, Steyl Mission Museum Size and dimensions Type A tiger bells occur in many sizes, from about 2.5 cm. to about 5 cm. in width. Larger bells, up to more than 6 cm. are used by the Iban. Very often the hoop is square or rectangular but there are type A tiger bells with round hoops (see the shaman's belt from Kalimantan). Bell with diameter over 5 cm., Iban (Sarawak) One tiger bell, possibly from China, has a diameter of more than 6 cm. This is however an exeception. A relatively large tiger bell Several type A tiger bells are probably locally and newly made with variations in the design (as in Nepal, Syria and China). These variations could occur because the producer did not recognise the Chinese characters and considered them as meaningless, or possibly floral motifs. Because of the whiskers, the face on the Syrian bell and one of the Chinese bells bell looks more like a cat. Small tiger bell with whiskers, probably from China In side view the height of the bell is smaller than its width. This sets them apart from the bells of type B and type C of which the height is larger than the width. Left: side view of type A Right: side view of type B Type A bell from Turkey Type B Bells from this group occur in large numbers on the southeast Asian mainland. Until now there are reports from Thailand, Tibet, Nepal, Bangladesh and possibly former Inner Mongolia (China), Laos and Assam (Nagaland). In Thailand (Bangkok) these bells are sometimes painted gold. They have the following characteristics: Type B tiger bells are roughly the size of an egg. The 'Wang' character on the 'forehead', so typical for the A type tiger bells, is missing. On the top half we can distinguish Chinese characters, sometimes one, sometimes two. The surrounding curls and curves are not always there. The hoop is always round. Use Tiger bells of type B bells occur by the hundreds. In Bangkok they can be bought in many handicraft and antique shops. They come 'from the north' but it is not clear what place or region that is. It is likely that these tiger bells are still produced. Type B tiger bells are used in many ways. In the Tibetan market in New Delhi (India) belts for yaks and horses with 10 to 12 of these bells were sold. One shopkeeper in Bangkok told me these bells were used as doorknobs. Nepalese and Tibetan shamans wear these bells on a chain across the chest as part of their costume. Type B bells of a smaller size are used as dog bells in Tibet and northern Thailand. Size and dimensions These bells are large with diameters varying from about 3.5 cm. to 4.5 cm. and heights from 3.7 cm. to 5 cm. or more. Type C These bells occur mainly in Nepal and Tibet. They have the following characteristics: Typical C type bell from Nepal Type C bells have the shape of B bells but are smaller. On most bells we see the 'Wang' character, although sometimes corrupted. In general the eyes are more bulging than with the other types. Also the lines of the design and the Chinese characters are thick and relatively high on the surface of the bell. The hoop is always rectangular with rounded corners. One handicraft shop owner in Kathmandu, Nepal, told me that bells of this type were being produced in a workshop in Dehra Dun (Uttar Pradesh, near the border with Himachal Pradesh). Use Many of these bells are sold as souvenirs in handicraft and ethnography shops. They occur in larger numbers on belts for horses and yaks. On chest chains worn by shamans they are sometimes found together with other bells. Size and dimensions The size of the C type bells is rather consistent: a width of about 3.4 cm. and a height of about 3.8 cm. Type D These tiger bells are only reported in Vietnam, Burma and possibly Laos. They have the following characteristics: Horse bells, Fou tribe, Vietnam Type D bells are more or less similar to smaller type A bells. The 'Wang' character is missing and the design is less detailed. The bronze of these bells has a dark, almost black patina. The bells are used as horse bells (in Vietnam) and as a musical instrument (in Burma). Go back, to the top of the page or continue to the next page All text and photographs are copyrighted, for information please contact F. de Jager