ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses copper-alloy cast-metal bells, but it must be considered within the world of sound, of appropriate sounds. Bells constitute by far the largest category of Lower Niger Bronzes (LNBs), yet they remain one of the most mysterious in many ways. First of all, while no one would doubt that bells have a significant role in religious and political life in southern Nigeria, it is not at all clear where the original idea of bells came from. There are several distinct bell types associated with specific areas other than those bells identified as LNB. While locally produced conical iron clapperless bells and gongs of various sizes, shapes, and combinations are ubiquitous among African peoples, the origins of smaller copper-alloy bell forms are less clear. Crotal bells were found at Igbo-Ukwu along with other bell types, such as the columnar LNB form and two bells of a larger flat-top type.
