The 25 petal bells in this set graduate from #2 bells (1 1/4" diameter) at the ends to a #10 bell (2 1/4" across) in the center. The bells were made in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
The owner asked for their bells to be cleaned, polished, and lacquered and a new strap constructed that is similar to the original.
The old strap was in terrible condition, however. (Second photo in "See more images") It was hard to be certain what the old strap looked like when it was in good shape, but I did my best to sleuth out the details of the original design.
The new unlined strap is dark brown leather 1 1/4" wide and about 70" long from buckle to tip. The old buckle was long gone, so I used a new 1 1/4" buckle. The solid brass buckle and bell pins were lightly darkened to blend with the bell and leather colors.
The owner asked me to add an optional "false billet" and hanging ring. The false billet is a short piece of leather that folds around the solid brass ring and fastens onto the buckle. (Last photo in "See more images") This is an alternative to the simpler option of hanging the strap by the buckle alone.
This particular item is a custom, one-of-a-kind project made for a past client. Items in this Custom Projects section are for information only; they are not available for regular sale.
