Chao Gong with Stand

Gong:
Bronze, 55 cm diameter, weight 3.45 kg
Gong Stand: H. 117 cm, W. 112 cm, D. 53 cm
This handcrafted gong stand, in Tibetan style, is made from pine wood.
Please note: These stands are made in an antique style, so they may have small imperfections or minor damage.

Gong Mallet included

The Chao Gong is the most well-known of our traditional Chinese percussion instruments. Many Westerners are particularly fond of the Chinese Chao Gong and Wind Gong.

The Chao Gong is made of electrolytic copper and tin. It is nearly flat, except for the rim, which is twisted to create a shallow cylinder. On a 10-inch (25 cm) gong, for example, the edge extends about half an inch perpendicularly to the gong’s surface. The main surface is slightly concave when viewed from the direction in which the rim is twisted. The center and the rim of a Chao Gong are coated on both sides with the black copper oxide formed during the gong's manufacture. The rest of the gong is polished to remove this coating.

Please note: These gongs may have small "blisters" on the surface. This cannot be completely avoided with handmade gongs. It is a normal phenomenon, not a hole or dent, but rather a bubble of molten copper, and it does not affect the gong’s sound or lifespan.

The earliest Chao Gong was discovered in a tomb at the Guixian site in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It dates back to the early Western Han Dynasty. They were known for their intense and spiritual drumming used in rituals and tribal meetings.

Traditionally, Chao Gongs were used to pave the way for important officials and processions, much like a police siren today. Sometimes, the number of strikes on the gong was used to indicate the seniority of the official. In this way, if two officials unexpectedly met on the road, they would know who should bow to whom based on the number of gong strikes.