White Copper Three Purities Bell Pendant

The Three Pure Ones bell is a Daoist implement, also called the emperor's bell or the ritual bell. The handle sits at the top, the body is wide at the mouth and narrow at the shoulder, and shaken, the clapper strikes the wall to sound. In liturgy it is used to summon, to mark a boundary and to send the deities away, and the rhythm of the shaking is fixed, with pace and force both prescribed. The names of the Three Pure Ones or talismanic characters are often cast into the body, which is why it carries that name; not every small bell can be called by it. Handle and body are cast as one piece rather than welded on later, so long shaking will not loosen them.

Made into a pendant, the body shrinks to the size of a thumb tip and the sound thins with it. It lacks the weight of an implement; a shake gives one very light note. The handle is kept and opened into a hole for the cord, with the mouth facing down. A bell this size cannot be used to perform liturgy. It is a pendant that carries a sound, ringing faintly as you walk, which adds a layer a silent plaque does not have and tends to start conversations.

A bell rings according to the thickness of its wall. Too thick and the note is dead; too thin and the casting distorts, the mouth loses its circle and the sound scatters. The wall here is even, the rim holds a true circle, and the note decays quickly and cleanly. The clapper is made separately and hung inside, so it does not strike off-centre. The pattern on the body is cast rather than cut afterward, and the lines are slightly rounded, which is what moulding produces. To judge the tone, shake it in a quiet place and listen for how cleanly the sound dies.

The version with a Chopin chain has a fine chain that passes through the handle, with the bell hanging below the collarbone. A Chopin link is strong and does not kink, though it is a little stiff, and against a small bell it looks somewhat heavy. With the pendant alone, a red cord or a leather one both work; a soft cord lets the bell swing freely and the sound comes out clearer. Tie the knot above the handle rather than wrapping it around the body, which would stop the ringing.

Dust collects inside the bell, and too much of it dulls the note. To clean, turn the mouth downward and work a soft brush inside in two circles. Do not rinse it. Water left in the chamber breeds verdigris, and once that starts the sound is finished. As the white copper darkens, the pattern on the body actually reads more clearly, so there is no need to polish it bright. The ring holding the clapper is the thinnest part of the whole piece and the most fragile; do not flick it for amusement. And do not hang the bell in a draught, or a strong wind will set it ringing all night.