Glockenform

Glockenform is a term used in German to describe a three-dimensional shape that resembles a bell: it features a generally rounded body that expands from a narrower opening at the top toward a broad lower lip, with a continuous curvature. The form appears in both natural and human-made objects, and the exact silhouette can vary by context.

In language, Glocke (bell) plus Form conveys a generic descriptor rather than a strict mathematical definition, allowing adaptation to different scales—from small decorative items to architectural elements.

In botany, Glockenform describes flowers with a bell-shaped corolla, such as many Campanulaceae species. In horticulture and floristry, the term is used to categorize or describe plant cultivars with hanging, bell-like blossoms that are open at the lip.

In architecture and art, bell-shaped forms appear as decorative domes, vases, or column capitals that mimic the silhouette of a bell. In pottery and glassmaking, vases, bowls, and glassware may be produced in Glockenform to achieve a bell-like profile, typically with a narrowed neck and flared rim.

In design and manufacturing, Glockenform can guide aesthetic decisions for vases, lamps, chandeliers, or sculpture where a slender upper portion yields to a rounded, widened base.

See also Glockenkurve for the related notion of a bell-shaped curve in statistics.