Christmas bell cast bronze with decorative rim

Many a family ritual on Christmas Eve includes the ringing of the Christmas bell. After the long wait, its bright, friendly sound alerts (not only) the children that the Christ Child has finally, finally arrived and that the presents he has distributed around the Christmas tree can now finally, finally be unwrapped. It's not just the little bell that vibrates with pure joy, but also the child's nerves.

The shape of this small Christmas bell refers to the baroque rib - a bell shape in which church bells have been cast in the German cultural area since the 16th century. However, unlike church bells, whose complex shape is designed to produce a harmonious multiple sound, striking this bell produces only one, particularly clear, pure and long-lasting tone, which corresponds approximately to a three-note C (high C) or three-note C sharp (slight deviations are possible due to the handmade nature of the bell).

Schiller's "Glocke", from which the above line is taken, was not cast here, but the art of casting meets the same standards of perfection. The purity of the sound is due to the high standards set by the manufacturer when producing the Christmas bell. He uses pure bell bronze, for which high-purity tin must be used (usually tin with a purity of 99.99%, which is well above industry standards). The casting takes place in a sand mold into which each bell is individually shaped. The perfect sound is achieved by carefully finishing the blank. This initially sounds about half a tone higher than the desired final tone. Only by "turning" by hand - removing the casting skin on the outside of the bell while leaving the inside untreated - and polishing does the bell sound a little lower due to the decreasing material thickness and finally reach its final tone.

Each Christmas bell is therefore also unique and has individual overtone mixtures, a unique pulse and natural vibrations. Their pitch or frequency itself can vary up to a minor third up or down. The manufacturer, a specialist in historical percussion, learned the foundry trade as his first profession and was therefore able to cast a required carillon according to his own ideas years ago. Without further ado, he founded his own bell foundry, specialized in medieval bell shapes and still supplies renowned orchestras and ensembles as well as private individuals who value his bells as house bells or christening gifts.