The collection of Italian bronzes at the Victoria and Albert Museum is extraordinary for its size, variety, and scope. The first book in English devoted to the subject, this fully illustrated volume provides a complete catalogue of a key part of this collection -- 75 small bells, mortars, and related utensils mainly from the Renaissance period.

Bells & Mortars contains details of inscriptions and makers'' marks and substantial technical information, including data based on X-ray examination and metal analysis. Essays set the bronzes into their broader historical, religious, and pharmaceutical contexts, making this catalogue invaluable to scholars and collectors as well as those with an interest in pharmaceutical history.