51/727

This is a clucket bell made of sheet iron and was originally lacquered with brass. It has two loops, or staples, at the top to which a pair of leather straps is fitted and these are joined by a leather yoke held in place by a pair of wooden lockyers (toggles). Bells were used by shepherds to help them locate their sheep.

1 clucket sheep bell: metal (sheet iron); leather; wood; good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'The origin of this clucket bell is unknown. It is made of sheet iron and was originally lacquered with brass. The two segments of sheet metal have been joined at the sides and kept in place by a pair of rivets, one on each side near the mouth. The shoulders of the bell measures 5.5 inches in length and the mouth 3.6 inches across, while from crown to mouth the length is 4 inches. At the top is the staple, in this specimen a curving rod of metal, joined to the crown in the centre, thus forming two compartments into which the leather straps are fitted. The pair of leather straps, one 6 inches and the other 7 inches in length are joined together by a leather yoke, held in place by a pair of wooden lockyers. // See also 51/92M.', Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) - 'A list of the contents of the East Hendred museum. July 5 1940 // Shepherd's Andrews's "ship tackle" // 4-12. Nine clucket bells with their harness' (Smith's description could be in reference to any of the clucket bell's in the collection - even those which no longer have leather straps), Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) page 3 - 'No.4 Clucket Bell // [pencil sketch] // [pencil sketch] // wooden pegs'

Wood, Metal, iron

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)
Andrews