Gilt-Bronze Five-Pronged Vajra Bell with the Four Heavenly Kings

Cast copper with gilding · China, Tang dynasty · 8th–9th century · Iyadaniji, Kagawa

The Four Heavenly Kings are cast into the bell: a Tang ritual sound heard only once in three centuries.

Exhibition: Celebrating 1250 Years Since the Birth of the Great Master Kūkai: Kūkai and the Treasures of Shingon Buddhism — Tokyo National Museum · 2026-07-14 – 2026-09-06