The cymbal, the largest of the bell-type percussion instruments, was used to accompany the dances in the rituals and ceremonies of the Shang Dynasty.

Five cymbals with elephant patterns were excavated on the top of the Shiguzhai Hill, Ningxiang County, Hunan Province. The exquisitely decorated cymbals are huge, heavy and tile-like. According to the metallographic analysis, the cymbals are made of red bronze. Firm and flexible in texture, they are hard to break even after a heavy blow and therefore suitable to serve as percussion instruments.

The most exquisite one features a beast face composed of thick lines in the center; the middle upper part is embossed with Taotie patterns (Taotie is a mysterious and ferocious beast in Chinese mythology); both sides are carved with the pattern of an elephant standing sideways respectively; its edge is decorated with six fishes and six tigers, all of whom are natural, powerful, primitive and simple. Judging from the beast face patterns on the front surface of the cymbal, these patterns look extremely similar to those in the late Shang Dynasty; the decorations like the fish and tiger are often seen on the bronze wares of the Shang Dynasty; the natural and powerful style, rich decorations and three layers of patterns are in accordance with the style of the bronze wares found in the second-period of Yin ruins.

This kind of bronze cymbals was unique to the Jiangnan area (the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River). They were mostly excavated in the Xiangshui River basin, especially in the area around Ningxiang County. There were no such cymbals in the north, for Jiangnan was deeply influenced by the culture of the Shang Dynasty.