Tower bell

Description

This bell exhibits all the characteristics of the cast bells described by Theophilus Presbyter in the early 12th century and hence can be described as one of the famous “Theophilus Bells”. The three triangular soundholes on the shoulder are its most distinctive feature. According to Theophilus, the purpose of these holes was to bring out the subtone more clearly, although experiments have shown that the openings do not in fact influence the sound at all. The Theophilus Bell in Basel is one of the most beautiful examples of its kind anywhere and one of the oldest surviving bells in the world. It comes from Basel Cathedral, where it is thought to have hung in St. Martin’s Tower. The bell could be identical with the bell known in later centuries as the Pfaffenglöcklein or “little priest’s bell”, which was moved – minus its clapper – to the Armoury or Work Yard in 1734.