Sound is waves that are extremely rich in information, and our hearing is a very acute and developed sense. We can make out much more than we think from a sound. And if we get familiar with a sound we can make out small details that are very subtle, recognising it among similar sounds. 

 

While experimenting with making brass bowls, I noticed how even bowls with a similar pitch had their own personal sound signatures. Since they are hand made, no two bowls are identical, and this is applies to the sound as well. 

 

A traditional use of bells is the telling of time across distance. Church bells ‘’tell’’ the time with the number of strikes, but at high numbers, you can easily lose count if you don’t concentrate from the start.

 

I took these two observations and created a new clock with twelve bells. The clockwork turns with time and each hour strikes its own bell with its own sound. After getting familiar with the clock one can tell the hour with only one strike.