19th Century Burmese Bronze Temple Bell with Stand

19th century (  c. 1850 ) Burmese bronze temple bell with original carved hard wood stand, painted iron hanging bracket, and striker. This rare cast bronze bell has a splendid sculptural and spiritual presence.  The bell has a long inscription on the upper part. The offering of a bronze bell to a monastery or temple was considered second only to the offering of a Buddha image as an act of merit (kutho). Such bells were cast using the lost wax (cire perdue) method. Casting of such bells was auspicious with specific rituals being performed by the caster and sponsors to ensure the appropriate blessings. The bell here, as with all such Burmese bells, does not have a clapper. It was designed to be struck from the outside by the wooden striker. When such bells were struck in a temple (itself a meritorious act), onlookers traditionally would responds with cries of ‘thadu, thadu!’ (‘well done, well done!) It is of classic bell shape with several rows of engraved concentric