The Metallic Sounds: A Microanalytical Study on the Production of Armenian Church Bells from Iran

There are a considerable number of church bells in museums, examples include the museum of the Vank Cathedral and the Treasury of Armenian Music in New Julfa, both located in Isfahan, Iran. These objects were collected from different Armenian churches and cathedrals in Iran and were dated to ca. 400-100 years ago. Due to the long history of Armenians in Iran and their important role in its cultural and architectural development, study of the production technologies they utilized is a subject of interest for art historians and scientists. Three metallic bells from the Treasury of Armenian Music in New Julfa were selected for a multianalytical study to investigate their manufacturing methods, using micro-XRF, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and metallography techniques. The results showed that the bells were produced with a binary tin bronze alloy with 13 to 20 wt% of tin, classified as either low-tin or high-tin bronze, depending on the concentration. The analysis showed a two-phase cast microstructure consisting of the α solid solution with significant amounts of interdendritic α + δ eutectoid. The results also indicate that the bells are cast first, but some evidence of complementary thermomechanical operations is visible in their microstructure.