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Sound: Music or Noise?
Sound is caused by vibrations that spread in waves. With these ancient metal objects, vibrations begin by shaking a rattle or striking a bell with a clapper or mallet.
Labeling different sounds as "music" or "noise" is a personal or cultural matter. Military music, for example, was intended to motivate troops and alarm the enemy. The clang of a bell worn by a farm animal might be a pleasant or unwelcome reminder of rural life. Amid shouts to "turn down that noise," generations of parents and teenagers have disagreed on what constitutes music, from Elvis Presley and the Beatles to heavy metal, rap, techno, and beyond. It has been said, music consists of melody, harmony, rhythm, and a thousand associations of the heart.
Whether viewed as producing music or noise, jingles, rattles, and hand bells were found together in the richly furnished tomb of Lady Hao, who died around 1200 BCE. When it was discovered in 1976, her burial contained eighteen small hanging bells with internal clappers, six chariot rein guides with rattles, and a set of five hand bells without clappers. All of these types are shown in this gallery. No large bells, however, were buried with Lady Hao, presumably because they were unknown or not valued in the north. |