Handheld School Bell (2024)

The MOTAL collection includes a teacher’s handheld bell that is almost 90 years old. Our bell is 8 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. It has a wooden handle, a brass body, and an iron clapper with a dense ball that strikes the body to make the bell ring. The clapper is also responsible for the crack in the bell, a condition many bells develop over time. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is commonly used for making bells of this rather small size. The curved body of the bell consists of the crown, shoulder, waist, and, at the bottom, the lip and mouth.

A teacher typically rang a handheld bell to signal students to come inside or to begin and end class; it may be used for other purposes such as getting students’ attention for special announcements.

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A Short History
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The first bells are believed to be from the 3rd century BC and were made of pottery. These were found to be from the Neolithic period in China (before the use of metal).
Around the 2nd century, metal bells were invented using the same metallurgy invented for use as finger cymbals. The process of making a metal bell is called founding.
Bells were often used as a way to call attention to the public and to call people to religious ceremonies. In the west, bells were hung in church bell towers and in the public square. Many churches shared the space for the local school so the bell became a way to alert students to the start and end of the school day.
Around 1700, two brothers named William and Robert Cor in England invented the handheld bell. These bells were also made as an instrument used in bell choirs.