Gokorei (Bell with five-pronged handle) with images of four Myōō (Four Vidya-rajas)

{i=>[vajra], content=>[Four of the Wisdom Kings (Myōō) appear on the body of this five-pronged bell, their sculptural forms imbued with a sense of vivid presence. The modeling of the figures and the sharpness to the prongs distinguish this work from the , bells that would be produced in Japan. Total mastery over the technique of bronze casting is reflected in the spectacular level of detail achieved even in the faces of each figure. A horse above the heads of one of the Wisdom Kings identifies Batō Myōō, but the identities of the other deities are hard to determine.]} Kongō-rei ritual bells with designs of Buddhist images such as four guardian deities and Myō'ō are called Butsuzō-rei (bell with Buddhist images). The bell with a five-pronged handle (goko-rei type) introduced in this article bears a cast design of four Myō'ō images.

This bell is considerably decorated: the space between the Myō'ō images is decorated with nanako patterns and flowers rendered with line-carvings, and the handle is decorated with various ornamental belts and complex lotus designs. Each prong has its sub-prong and is connected to the mouth of an ornamental dragon. These modeling features reflect the characteristics of butsuzō-rei bells of the Song dynasty in China. The gold plating over the bell is well preserved. This bell is an excellent example of its kind. There is a square hole between the central prong and one of the side prongs, which was probably used for containing Buddhist relics.

— Museum description: Nara National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.