Identification • Material: Brass, hand-pierced with decorative cutouts (hearts, circles, quatrefoils). • Form: A domed cover with a handle on top, about 7-8 inches across, with six internal bells mounted on a cross-braced frame. • Sound function: When shaken or moved, the multiple clappers produce a resonant chorus of tones rather than a single strike. • Purpose: Likely used within a church or monastery setting in the 18th century, either Catholic or Orthodox. These were used for: • Liturgical signaling (e.g., during mass, to mark the elevation of the host). • Processional ringing (carried in hand or mounted). • Occasionally as censer-like covers, though the lack of residue suggests this one was more purely musical. Dating & Style • The pierced brass work and the form suggest 18th Continental Europe (Likely French) • The hearts and quatrefoils are consistent with ecclesiastical ornament of that period. • The bells inside appear hand-cast, not machine-made, confirming pre-industrial manufacture. These are quite rare. Condition is key, and yours shows honest wear but intact mechanics (bells all present).