Bell of Two Friends by Karen Sontag-Sattel
Local artist Karen Sontag-Sattel created “Bell of Two Friends” in 2001. The 13-foot-tall sculpture sits on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis and was commissioned by Ibaraki, Japan (Minneapolis and Ibaraki are sister-cities).
A plaque on the back of the sculpture reads:
This sculpture represents a greatly enlarged half-mold of a dotaku bell found in Ibaraki, Japan. Such bells date to the Yayoi period of Japanese history, approximately 2,000 years ago. The exact purpose of Dotaku bells is lost to history, but it is felt that they were largely ceremonial, rather than functional. The surface design of the bell suggests the importance of the ever-present waters and mountains of Japan.
Tags: bell, japan, nicollet island
November 9th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I am trying to determine a translation for the japanese symbol engraved on the side of this sculpture. (The Bell of Two Friends) Can you help me translate it?