This bell flare is a durable vintage yellow brass Olds Ambassador from 1969; serial number 683799. It has been delacquered, cleaned, and fitted with a bespoke Paxman compatible ring. Seven planets, one representing each movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets, have been created and soldered onto the outer bell surface: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter (including 4 Galilean moons), Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planets are made out of various alloys, including Nickel Silver, Red Brass, Copper, and Yellow Brass.
The bell with Paxman ring weighed 412g before the planets applique. It weighs 465g after the planets were applied. While the bell displays marks of an active life, its overall condition after all these years indicates good materials and craftsmanship when it was originally made.
