This bell sports three different renderings of lilacs. The lilac flowerettes are cut-outs, the stems are nickel silver, and the leaves are copper. Both the stems and leaves were soldered onto the bell. I attempted to represent the Common Lilac, the Old-Fashioned Lilac, and a picture of Lavender Lady Lilacs (which may simply be a variant of the Common Lilac). The lilacs were created on a vintage King Bell, serial number 590768, which dates this bell to 1976–the year of the USA bicentennial. The bell flare was straightened, delacquered, cleaned, and fitted with an Alexander compatible ring made of bronze for its good wear and low friction properties.
This bell is a prototype. I experimented with different techniques to produce the lilac technique, and you can see some evidence of the various attempts up close, mostly on the inside of the bell flare. The experimentation evidence is all cosmetic and does not affect the way the bell sounds. Some of the flowerettes have pretty high snag potential on clothing.
The bell with its bell ring weighed 503g before the hybrid cut-out / applique design was applied. It weighs 495g after the artwork was applied. This vintage bell is rugged and handsome and does show evidence that it was handled roughly in its prior life. This bell sounds as lovely as it looks on my Alexander 103.
