How many gongs sell on Sellingantiques?

Around 45 are listed a year, and 85 different dealers have handled one. That makes it a category almost nobody specialises in, but a great many dealers pass through. The full archive runs to 433 listings, which is enough to see the pattern clearly: oak frames, brass discs, and a Victorian or Edwardian date.

What wood are the frames made from?

Oak dominates, appearing in 158 titles. Walnut and mahogany are the distant alternatives, and a single fruitwood frame shows up in the samples. Asian gongs tend to sit on carved hardwood stands instead. Beyond timber, frames turn up in horn, antler, bamboo, wrought iron and a horseshoe.

Are table gongs different from hall gongs?

Yes, and the titles say which. Table gongs are small, on their own base, meant for a table or sideboard; 62 titles use the word. Floor standing gongs are full height on a foot, for a hall, and 16 titles describe one. Wall hanging and wall mounted gongs, 24 titles, fix to a bracket or backboard.

Which styles come up most often?

Gothic revival is the most frequently named, in 22 titles, with pointed arches and tracery carved into oak. The recurring phrase at the top of that group is "monumental carved oak". Arts and Crafts also appears in 22 titles, usually hand-worked oak with hammered copper or brass. Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Aesthetic Movement pieces follow behind.

Do Asian gongs turn up in this category?

They do, as a steady minority. Chinese appears in 35 titles and oriental in 17, commonly on carved hardwood stands. Burmese, Tibetan, Japanese, Anglo-Indian and Indian examples all appear in the samples, including a Tibetan temple gong and an Indian monastery chime.

How old are most of these gongs?

The dated field spans 1860 to 1930, with 253 listings carrying a clean year. The 1900s form the biggest single bucket, then the 1890s and 1910s. The remainder lean on "Victorian", "Edwardian" or a bare "19th Century", which are ranges rather than dates. Nothing earlier than the mid nineteenth century is supported by the archive.