Pottery Bell

Art Historical Context

This striking Pottery Bell, crafted from lustrous blackware in 19th-century Mexico, exemplifies the rich tradition of combining everyday materials with musical function. The unknown artist shaped the wide, shallow form—measuring just 5½ inches high with a 10-inch diameter—using techniques that produce the deep black sheen through careful reduction firing. As part of the idiophone family, it is struck rather than rung with a clapper, creating resonant tones that likely accompanied rituals, dances, or communal gatherings. Blackware pottery holds special significance in Mexican artistic heritage, where the polished surface not only enhances visual beauty but also affects the instrument’s acoustic properties. Its inclusion in the Crosby Brown Collection, acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 1889, highlights how such objects bridge art and music, preserving cultural practices that might otherwise have been lost. Today, it invites visitors to imagine the lively sounds that once filled Mexican communities.