Hand Bell
1500-1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This hand bell with turned handle in bell-metal is made in North Italy, probably Venice, in ca. 1500-1550. by an unknown master.
Bells played an important role in everyday life during the 16th century, regulating the working day, calling worshippers to church and announcing special occasions such as weddings and funerals.
Small bells were either rung by hand or suspended from beams and struck with a hammer. Handbells were both religious and secular in function. They were used in religious rituals and were commonly decorated with figures of saints. Small bells were also used as doorbells, and to call servants and institutions into action. The sounding of a bell had a number of meanings from warning to protection from danger, calling order, regulating routine and announcing civic and religious occasions.
Bells played an important role in everyday life during the 16th century, regulating the working day, calling worshippers to church and announcing special occasions such as weddings and funerals.
Small bells were either rung by hand or suspended from beams and struck with a hammer. Handbells were both religious and secular in function. They were used in religious rituals and were commonly decorated with figures of saints. Small bells were also used as doorbells, and to call servants and institutions into action. The sounding of a bell had a number of meanings from warning to protection from danger, calling order, regulating routine and announcing civic and religious occasions.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Bell-metal |
| Brief description | Hand bell, bell metal, with birds and masks, North Italy (probably Venice), ca. 1500-1550 |
| Physical description | Hand bell with turned handle, decorated around the crown and sound bow with downward-facing overlapping acanthus of two different forms. Around the neck, a band of vine leaf between rows of beads. On the waist, swags of fruit and foliage supporting birds (pelicans?), which peck at the fruit, together with similar pendants with fluttering ribbons, suspended from flowers. Below the swags are alternating grotesque and female masks. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | From the Salting bequest. Before that Stefano Bardini (Florence). |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This hand bell with turned handle in bell-metal is made in North Italy, probably Venice, in ca. 1500-1550. by an unknown master. Bells played an important role in everyday life during the 16th century, regulating the working day, calling worshippers to church and announcing special occasions such as weddings and funerals. Small bells were either rung by hand or suspended from beams and struck with a hammer. Handbells were both religious and secular in function. They were used in religious rituals and were commonly decorated with figures of saints. Small bells were also used as doorbells, and to call servants and institutions into action. The sounding of a bell had a number of meanings from warning to protection from danger, calling order, regulating routine and announcing civic and religious occasions. |
| Bibliographic reference | Motture, Peta. Bells & Mortars. Catalogue of the Italian Bronzes in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2001, pp. 138-9, cat.no 37 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.675-1910 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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