Fair Trade Recycled Metal Garden Bells
Own a piece of musical history.
Bell making has an ancient history in the Kutch region of Western India, an ecologically sensitive area which has already been dramatically impacted by the global effects of climate change. For centuries, Muslim cattle herders made finely tuned bells to identify their cattle from their neighbors, but with increasing drought and encroachment of neighboring deserts, the skills and techniques for making these beautiful bells were in danger of disappearing forever. Through the work of Fair Trade Federation member organizations and NGOs, hundreds of artisans now have a growing marketplace for their bells, using recycled metals to further reduce the environmental impact.
Each bell is assembled of recycled tin and iron, cut and assembled by hand and sealed with brass and copper powders in a kiln. Finally, they are carefully hand hammered to tune each bell to it's own unique sound, so no two will ever sound exactly the same, and decorated with wooden beads on the cotton cord. As a general rule, the larger the bell, the deeper the tone. The large sound very much like the buoy bells in our harbor. The extra large sound like church bells.
- Small measures 5.5" tall by 3.5" in diameter and weighs approximately 1lb.
- Medium measures 6.5" tall by 4" in diameter and weighs approximately 1lb 3oz.
- Large measures 7.5" tall by 4.5" in diameter and weighs approximately 1lb 7oz.
- Extra Large measures 11.5" tall by 6.5" in diameter and weighs approximately 4lb 4oz and is suspended by a heavy duty rope that can be knotted to any length.
Handmade in India
