Antique Rare Hindu Bronze Shiva Temple Bell
AGE: – 18th Century
HEIGHT: – 24cm
DIAMETER AT WIDEST PART: – 13cm
WEIGHT: – 1.55 kg.
#05a PRICE: – CONTACT
Antique Rare Hindu Bronze Shiva Temple Bell with a decorative Nandi finial (holy cow), and iron clapper with a nicely aged patina of a bell that has been used over the decades. When rung it makes a lovely long crystal clear ring. This bell with the Nandi finial signifies that is used to worship Shiva. (A bell used to worship Lord Vishnu may have a Garuda on it.)
A bell in many cultures plays a part in the call to prayer, or in proclaiming an important event in the area or village and also an integral part of the prayer time in Hindu temples with many temples having a dedicated prayer room housing several bells.
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Hindu Shiva bell is usually held and rung with the left hand, while offerings are made with the right. Here, the sculpture of Nandi on top of the handle signifies that this bell is used to worship Shiva. (A bell used to worship Lord Vishnu may have a Garuda on it.)
Hindu temples are adorned with lots of bells, some are placed at the entrance to the temple, hung on a wooden door or gate. Some smaller bells are tied to trees and branches within the temple compound and other smaller bells are inside the temple.
Larger bells are intended to be heard over a wide area and can range from a single bell hung in a turret or bell-gable or chiming bells similar to those found in Christian churches or town halls.
Bells are usually cast from bell metal (a type of bronze) for its resonant properties; depending on the function, they can also be made from other hard materials; Many small ornamental bells used to tie around a cows neck are made from pressed metal, the larger bells in the temple are normally cast from bell metal. The traditional metal for these bells is bronze of about 23% tin. Steel was not used after the 1870s as it had questionable durability and was also expensive.
This bell is quite rare, an identical Shiva bell is housed in the British Museum.
