Vibration and sound of Silla Great Bell

Abstract

Silla Great Bell was manufactured in order to ring for the new millennium in succession to King Seongdeok Divine Bell. This study investigates how Silla Great Bell is similar to King Seongdeok Divine Bell in respect of structure and sound. First, design and manufacturing processes are introduced and dimensions of the two bells are compared and the similarity is estimated. Three main characteristics of the sound of a Korean bell are magnificent and harmonic striking sound, dynamic beat, and long lasting hum tone. These three features are compared and objectively estimated using physical parameters. The purpose of the study is to provide useful information to manufacture Korean bell which has beautiful appearance and excellent sound.

Technological Insights into the Evolution of Bronze Bell Metal Casting on the Korean Peninsula

“…The Korean bell is considered as a masterpiece among other bells around the world due to its unique and beautiful shape and clear and long-lasting sound. In simple words, the bell rings and reverberates like a "Maengnoli phenomenon", which is the sound of a heartbeat [20,21]. All these attributes led to its own scientific name "Korean bell", demonstrating the excellent aesthetic sense and workmanship of our ancestors [22,23].…”

“…The sound of the Chinese bell is relatively noisy and has short resonance. Other bells such as the Japanese bell are similar to the Chinese bell and cannot produce beautiful sounds, causing fluctuation from deep inside [18][19][20][21]. Some of the popular bell types on the Korean Peninsula are summarized in Table 1.…”

“…The major bell alloys include bronze, brass, cupronickel, and iron. Bronze accounts for more than 80%, and the chemical composition of bronze used for bells is reported to contain various metals such as Zn, Sb, Ni, and Pb in the Cu- (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)%Sn system. This trend does not differ much between the East and the West [34].…”