Royal Ontario Museum receives $1-million gift from The Browning Watt Foundation

TORONTO, June 9 2026 – The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is pleased to announce a $1-million gift from The Browning Watt Foundation to support the display of a monumental Chinese bronze bell –Temple bell of Wei Bin, cast in 1518 during the Ming dynasty – directly inside the Museum’s future Hennick Entrance. 

The revitalized entrance is part of OpenROM, a sweeping transformation of Canada’s largest museum, and will feature five monumental objects to greet visitors upon arrival.

Standing two metres tall and intricately adorned with carved motifs and inscriptions, the bronze bell is among the most significant and impressive examples of early 16th-century Chinese works in ROM’s collections, and one of the largest of its kind still in existence. Cast by order of Wei Bin, a powerful advisor to Emperor Zhengde (r. 1505-1520), and later acquired in 1920 for the Museum by collector George Crofts (1871-1925), it features intertwined dragons forming its suspension loop and lotus petals ringing its domed top. Panels of Buddhist scripture, including the Sutra of the Names of the 35 Buddhas, cover much of its surface.

The bell is one of five major objects that will anchor the re-envisioned lobby space – each selected to reflect the interdisciplinary strength and global scope of ROM’s collections. The temple bell’s new placement on a custom pedestal within the visitor welcome area will create a dramatic focal point for all who step into the Museum. 

“Within the new Hennick Entrance, these installations will offer visitors an immediate encounter with the depth and diversity of ROM’s collections of art, culture, and nature,” said Jennifer Wild, ROM Interim Co-Director & CEO. “This extraordinary bell, with its centuries-old history and exquisite craftsmanship, will introduce guests to the Museum’s incredible collections of Asian art from the moment they arrive.” 

The gift comes from The Browning Watt Foundation, chaired by Roland Browning Watt, K.C., a longtime supporter of ROM. Mr. Browning Watt has served on the Museum’s Board of Governors since 2017 and has been deeply engaged in advancing ROM’s mission and strengthening its community of supporters. His contributions to education and culture were recently recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Guelph.

“ROM has always been a place where the past speaks to the present,” said Mr. Browning Watt. “This bell has travelled across continents and centuries, and I am delighted that it will soon greet visitors at the Museum’s new entrance, inviting them to reflect and explore.”

Janice Price, President & CEO of ROM Governors, expressed gratitude for the gift. “The Browning Watt Foundation’s generosity helps bring to life one of the most inspiring elements of OpenROM – creating a vibrant, welcoming entrance animated by extraordinary objects from the collection. We are deeply thankful to Roly Browning Watt for his vision, leadership, and enduring commitment to ROM.”

Further details about the opening of the new main entrance and object installations will be released at a later date.

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For more information:
media@rom.on.ca