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Temple Bell (Boston)

Bronze bell in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 6, 2026
Entity authorityQ74472223
Source-derived summary

Temple Bell, also known as Japanese Temple Bell, is a bell and bronze sculpture by Suzuki Magoemon, installed in Boston's Back Bay Fens, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Cast in 1675, the bell was originally installed in Manpukuji Temple, in Sendai, Japan, before being salvaged by USS Boston sailors. It was presented to the City of Boston by the sailors in 1945, before being officially presented by Japan as a symbol of peace in 1953. The bell was also previously installed in Boston Common.

Description

The cylindrical bronze sculpture is approximately three feet (0.91 m) tall and has a diameter of two feet (0.61 m). It rests on a granite base that measures approximately 3 feet 7 inches (1.09 m) by 2 feet 8 inches (0.81 m) by 2 feet 8 inches (0.81 m). It features etchings of Japanese figures and writings.

History

The bell was cast in 1675. It was originally installed in Sendai, Japan's Manpukuji Temple. The bell was salvaged from a scrap yard (where it had been taken to be melted down for ammunition) by sailors from USS Boston, then presented to the City of Boston in 1945.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Temple Bell (Boston)” as bronze bell in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1675, 1945, 1953—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1953. The account is most persuasive where Temple, Bell and Boston can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as bronze bell in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q74472223. Authority coordinates are 42.341, -71.094. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1675, 1945 and 1953.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Temple Bell (Boston)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Temple Bell (Boston) primary sources, Temple Bell (Boston) archive and Temple research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Temple Bell (Boston)”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Temple Bell (Boston)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.