English: Closeup of Tiger atop a bronze bell (Chunyu) Eastern Zhou period (770-256 BCE) southern China; "The sound of this bell would have commanded attention. It is thought that people living in the Yangtze River region used bells of this type to send signals during battles. The bell would have been hung by the looped handles and then struck with a mallet. The drum would also have been suspended, then beat at gatherings and ceremonies, or during warfare to call for an army’s advance or retreat. The warriors who fought to the sound of these instruments were probably not Zhou, but from one of the many other cultural groups living in the region, such as the Chu. In ancient China, rituals resounded with the music of drums, bells, zithers, and chimes such as the tiger-topped chime on display. Music, a central part of court life, was played at ritual offerings, court meetings, and banquets. The Book of Rites, a text describing Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) etiquette, noted, “A gentleman of the ancient times did not indicate his social position in words but in the manners and the music entitled to him.” A person’s rank determined the performance’s style and size, as well as the quality of the musicians and their instruments." - The Field Museum