The bell of King Argishti of Urartu

The bell of King Argishti of Urartu in the Metropolitan Museum. It is a classic Urartian bell with a dome-shaped top, an octagonal pierced body with a raised band in the middle, and a loop for hanging. The Urartian cuneiform inscription reads: “From the arsenal of [King] Argishti”.

It is dated to about 789–766 BC and is made of bronze and iron. It was given to the museum by Mr and Mrs Nathaniel Spear Jr. in 1977. Accession number: 1977.186.

In the photograph the bell has a greenish, time-worn surface, with the loop at the top and 2 rows of rectangular openings in its body.