Seven metals, ringed with four magical inscriptions: what other secrets does the ‘Alchemical Hand Bell’ hold?

Photo caption: Hans de Bull, Alchemical Hand Bell of Rudolf II, ca. 1600. Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, CC BY-NC-SA. Article by Richard Bean, Corinna Gannon and Sarah Lang. The Conversation – June 7, 2023.

Scholars are baffled by a mysterious object from Emperor Rudolf II’s collection: a hand bell, made from an alloy of seven metals and said to have been used to summon spirits, contains an enigmatic cipher on the inside. The Habsburg emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) went down in history as one of the greatest patrons of the arts and sciences. During his 36-year reign […]

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