BENGALURU: Olinda Timms’ fascination with bells goes back to her medical college days when a friend gifted her two bells that rested on her dressing table. “They were ordinary bells made of brass. Every time people would visit my room, they would ask me about it and add to the collection,” she says.
The freelance anesthesiologist has collected 257 bells, most of which are displayed all around her house. They adorn sideboards, wall brackets and a few even decorate the staircase landing. “The ones that cannot be incorporated into the interior decorations are tucked away in small boxes inside cupboards, particularly the ones broken during cleaning,” says Olinda. The positions are never permanent and she interchanges them from time to time.
Olinda, 55, has traveled the world extensively and wherever she goes, she tries to pick up something for her unique collection. She usually strolls through the curio shops in European squares in search of the artifact, “When I was in Austria, nearly ten years ago, I found these bells infused with lead and bells of stained glass,” she says.
Olinda is intrigued with bells as the ornaments often reflect cultures and traditions. “In India, you don’t get much variety as most of the bells are brass and generally found only in temples,” she says. In Venice, she observed that the Murano glassworks were unique. “I chose something in a deep red coloured glass. The bells here go back to Christian tradition and are used widely in churches,” she said.
Out of the entire collection, a bell shaped perfume-bottle gifted to her by an elderly family friend stands out. Another interesting piece is from Holland. She picked up a bell shaped in the form of a woman with a long skirt, posing with milk pails that act as clappers.
In all her travels, Cambodia and Vietnam proved to be difficult places to find bells, “I checked in curio shops. Made all the necessary sign language, and gestures.... But I still could not find any there,” she laughs.
The ring tones of bells are pure notes with a sweet sound, “There are a variety of ring tones and overtones, which produce different quality of sounds. When the clapper strikes against the bell, it produces a pure note if the bell is shaped right and not cracked. The sound the resonates inside the bell with perfection,” she says.