Existing comment:
Alchemical table bell of Emperor Rudolf II
ca. 1600
Hans Bulla
Emperor Rudolf II is reputed to have used this bell in his practice of alchemy, a complex discipline centering on the transformation of matter. Goldsmith Hans Bulla claimed to have cast the bell from an alloy of seven different metals, a powerful substance called "electrum" in alchemical texts. Its decorations -- including the seven planetary gods, their symbols, and the associated zodiac signs, as well as Greek and Hebrew letters on the interior -- relate to rituals and beliefs associated with alchemy. |