Metal bell craft requires highly refined skills and combined family input. First, men shape each bell, hammering rectangular strips of recycled metal into hollow cylinders. They then weld a dome-like metal crown onto the bell’s cylindrical body. Next, artisans bend and attach a metal strip to the crown so the bell can be hung.
Once the bell is shaped, women dip it in a solution of earth and water, then cover the wet bells with a mixture of powdered brass and copper. The bell, with its powdered coat, is wrapped in a pancake of local clay and cotton and placed in a kiln to bake.
After it is properly baked, the clay/cotton mixture is peeled away and any excess clay is rubbed off. Each bell is buffed and polished to accentuate its unique metallic luster, tinted with shades of yellow, gold, red, and brown. A ringer, made of a dense wood called sheesham, is attached inside the bell, converting the hollow metal object into a musical work of art.
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Since 2009, Connected Goods has been working with artisans around the globe who have mastered their craft through tradition and culture. This work brings their craft and age-old techniques into the modern marketplace while establishing fair wages and ethical working conditions into rural communities where employment opportunity is minimal. When shopping with us, you join together in helping individuals in some of the world's least developed countries provide for their families with healthy working conditions.
Each purchase made on our site has helped our artisans achieve independence and empowerment, and for this, we thank you!

