Bell shrines are metal objects built to hold early Medieval hand-bells, particularly those associated with early Irish saints. Although the enshrinement of bells lasted from the 9th and 16th centuries, the more well-known date from the 11th century. Nineteen such Irish or British bell shrines survive, along with several fragments (mostly crests), although many more would have been produced. Of those extant, fifteen are Irish, three are Scottish and one is English. Most follow the general shape of a hand-bell capped with a crest above a semicircular cap that matches the shape of a bell handle.