Object ID
1994.19.2
Object Name
Bell, Animal
Object Collection
Material
Brass
Object Entities
Fotopoulos, Mary (owned by)
Fotopoulos, Mary (is related to)
Access Points
Object Description
Rusted brass bell with functioning metal clapper. The bell is shaped as a square at the top and widens out to a circular bottom. Hollow center. Features a handle on top of the bell. A blue rope is tied to this handle. The exterior of the bell is almost completely rusted, appearing mostly orange but green in some places. Two studs on opposite sides of the open circle at the bottom hold the folded metal strip which forms the bell together. The clapper's shape resembles that of the bell. It is also made of metal and is held in place by a metal hook which attaches to the top of the bell's chamber. The inside of the bell is also very rusted. In addition to the orange and green colors of the outside of the bell, there is a section of the chamber, towards the top, that is yellow. This yellow section appears to be a buildup of rust.
Origin
Bells like this one were very common among goat herders in Greece. These bells were used for various reasons. Most commonly, they were tied to the lead goat of the herd so that the other goats would be able to follow it based on the sound of the bell. In other cases, bells were tied to the necks of stud males or pregnant females for easy identification. This specific bell still has a blue rope tied to its handle, presumably for attachment to the collar of an animal.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Bell, Animal, Mary Fotopoulos Collection, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/9740. Accessed 04/20/24.