Abstract

This article focuses on the discovery of a type of artefact in the Asian continent; namely the dotaku bell (Japan) and the bronze bell (Malaysia). Bronze bells have distinctive designs and unique decorative patterns, and their distribution has raised questions in terms of their function, origin, form of dissemination and use in their practitioners' community. This article discusses the discovery of two specific types of bronze bells, particularly in terms of the similarities and differences in their design, function, decorative pattern and origin. We applied the library method, examining information from books, articles, research reports and sample research at the Department of Museums Malaysia, the Shah Alam Museum Board (Selangor) and the Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum, Japan. The findings show that dotaku bell was related to the Yayoi period, while the bronze bell from Malaysia represented the Iron Age artefacts. There were significant differences between these bronze bells, especially in terms of their shapes and decorative patterns. These differences are manifestations of the life of people from those times, who were adapted to their environment. These adaptations took into account geographical aspects, sources of raw materials, technology, sociocultural life and so on. These two objects indirectly help us understand the development and lifestyle of their practitioner communities in several locations in Asia. This knowledge can be understood through the sketches of decorative motifs in the form of animals, geometric, abstracts and so on.

Keywords

Dotaku bell, bronze bell, archaeology, artefacts, sociocultural