Due to custom regulations we can not ship outside the E.U. Please make sure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. Very rare Byzantine Medieval bronze bell with handgrip and engraved bird and inscription: Ο ΑΓΗΟC ΒΛΑCΗΟC = the holy Blasius. Height: ± 88 mm Diameter: ± 68 mm Condition: good solid condition with appealing dark patina. The clapper is missing, otherwise intact. Signs of wear consistent with age and use. See images. Certificate of Authenticity: available upon request (pdf-format). HISTORY St. Blasius (St. Blaise) was a physician, and Bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia. According to the legend, Saint Blaise once saved a child that almost died because of a fishbone stuck in his throat. Early Church records report he was martyred during the reign of the Roman Emperor Licinius in 316 AD. He was arrested and tortured with a wool comber's brush, and finally beheaded when he refused to renounce his faith. Saint Blasius is the Patron saint of sufferers from throat diseases and of wool combers. He became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages and is also the patron saint of Dubrovnik. In the Low Countries many churches have been dedicated to Saint Blasius.