Singing Bowls

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Thadobati Singing Bowls are amongst the very oldest bowl forms, with some estimated to be over 500+ years old. They usually show some signs of use, so surface decoration and engraved markings may be worn smooth by many years of handling, cleaning, etc.  

The word Thadobati means 'straight walled' in Nepali, so the bowls mostly have almost straight, high sides and a wide flat bottom, although some 'Thado' bowls may have more curved sides than others. They can be small (see next column), but most you will encounter will be around 15-18cm wide and around 600-1000g. Their tones cover the second to fourth octaves. 

Walls can be thick or thin and the lip is usually plain, though on closer inspection you may discover a faint groove on top, worn smooth by time. On heavier bowls this groove forms a prominent lip. The rim of the bowl has a variety of decorations, from none to multiple lines (small 'tick' marks); or round 'sun' or 'void' symbols (dots within circles), sometimes singly or arranged in groups of inverted triangular form, at regular intervals around the rim. Often the circles are worn down and only a row of dots remain. 

Exterior decoration elsewhere can include multiple linework or a number of uneven 'ritual scoring' a series of marks below the rim on the external wall (possibly used in fine-tuning the bowl's sound). Some bowls have concentric circles radiating from the centre of the inside basin, but this is often worn away. They can also have dot-punched or engraved inscriptions, usually the name of a former owner or dedication of some kind.

Actually a sub-type of Thadobati, but as a bowl type you are likely to find or buy, included separately here.

 Much smaller than standard Thadobati bowls, they are usually somewhere around 10-13cm wide and 200-600g in weight. 

Their tones range from mid-fourth octave to the beginning of the sixth octave.

There are many different shapes of cup bowls: some (like the example above) have the 'crushed' or 'folded' rim style, found only in very old bowls, with sun or 'void' symbols chained around the outside rim. 

They can be high, medium or low walled. 

Some have a completely smooth exterior, some are covered with with line decoration down to the bottom, and have interior concentric circles...the list goes on.

Thinner bowls are rarer as they may not have survived the ravages of time, but would have been much more difficult to hammer to an even thickness.

Small 'Thado' bowls may also carry an inscription, though this seems to be significantly rarer than on larger bowls.

These small bowls fit very comfortably in the hand when being played, and are the ideal traveling bowl due to their size and weight.

Jambati Singing Bowls are the largest and heaviest of the Himalayan singing bowls. 

They range from around 20cm wide and under a kilo, to very rare, monster bowls close to 40cm and weighing several kilos.

Jambati means 'village bowl' in Nepali, referencing the fact that each bowl required several people working in concert to forge.

Most antique Jambati will be between 1-3kg and 25-30cm wide. Jambati bowls produce low, sustained tones, with fundamental notes ranging from low second, to around the beginning of the fourth octave. 

In general, the thinner the bowl, the lower the note (but the more 'gong-like' the tone, with multiple overtones). Thicker bowls will produce higher notes (unless the bowl is very large), and a purer tone.

The Jambati shape is characterised by mid to high curved walls, prominent hammer marks on the exterior, a smooth interior, small flat bottom, and a triangulated inward-facing lip that may be plain or grooved.  In some bowls the lip is missing and the edge is plain. Decoration is usually some simple incised lines forming a band or collar close to the outer rim, and several incised concentric circles radiating from the centre of the interior basin. They sometimes have an engraved inscription or dedication near the rim. A small to medium weight Jambati can be comfortably played in the hand, but the larger bowls need to be placed on a bowl ring, on a hard surface, in order to be played.

Remuna singing bowls are characterised by a low and bulbous profile, the bottom of the bowl being wider than the top. They usually have thin walls, a plain lip and produce notes in the third to fourth octave range. They have a distinctive, resonant, almost hollow sound, and are usually very easy to play. Decoration consists of lines around the sides and rim (outside and in) and concentric circles on the inside basin; or sometimes just one small circle. They quite often have some type of inscription. Their fundamental notes are often surprisingly low for their size, due to their relative thinness. This lightweight construction also makes them ideal for bodywork in sound healing, and their wide base transmits fantastic vibrations.

Mani bowls are the Yang to the Remuna's Ying. Similar in shape, they are the thickest/heaviest bowls for their size that you are likely to encounter. Usually 10-20cm in diameter, they weigh in at a hefty 500-2500g. Correspondingly, they are also very high in pitch, usually starting in the upper fourth to fifth and even sixth octave: the opposite of the Remuna's low tones.  

Mani Bowls can also carry extensive line decoration (unless worn away), both inside and out, and almost always have a wide, grooved, inward-facing lip. They rarely have any form of inscription, however. The sound is focused and penetrating, with the struck note also being the rim note. They have a 'big' sound that has been described as 'self amplifying' due to their shape...my own experience is that they certainly are capable of that, plus long sustain too!

Manipuri bowls are a common style, characterised by their low profile and wide shallow basin, producing a warm, open sound. They are approximately 10-25cm wide and 200-1500g in weight. Their tones generally range from the second to fifth octave, depending on their thickness. They are one of the most highly decorated of antique bowls, with fine examples having many lines, ritual scoring marks, sun symbols/circles, and figurative designs, inside and out. They can also be relatively plain or unadorned (usually from wear).

The rim is sometimes subtly splayed outwards at the edge and decorated with many incised lines. The lip top rim may be ornamented with sun symbols, with more in the basin, and occasionally a flower/lotus design in the centre, surrounded by circles. These bowls are also great for bodywork in sound healing, if they have a lightweight construction, enabling multiple bowls to be placed on or around the client.

Pedestal bowls are distinctive in their construction: a round bottomed bowl, welded to a small metal stand. This allows the bowl to sit securely on any hard surface. 

Small Pedestal bowls tend to be more rounded in shape; larger styles being a more bulbous design. They usually have a collar of parallel lines around the rim, but only very occasionally circles inside. Dot-punched Inscriptions and decorations are common on the exterior of pedestal bowls. Pedestal bowls range from 10-20cm wide and 200g-1500g, with the range of notes usually encompassing the third to sixth octaves. 

Pedestal bowls are one of the best bowls for one-on-one sound healing work as, not only do they have a great sound, but the welded stand provides a convenient 'handle' for work concentrating around and close to the body. You can also produce a Doppler effect, by rapidly moving the bowl through space.  

Sound quality can sometimes be an issue for antique pedestal bowls however, with the base welding being a weak point for cracks. This produces an unwanted harsh, buzzing sound when struck or played around the rim. 

Temple bowls (also known as Temple Gongs) are the only true living link that Singing Bowls have to religious practice, being found in Buddhist temples in countries such as Japan,  China, Korea and Vietnam. The giant bowls residing in some temples are the tallest and widest of the all the antique singing bowls. 

In general, most bowls will be second to fourth octave. These bowls have a relatively high tone to size ratio, with a Himalayan bowl of the same note being much smaller. 

In general, they weigh 400-3000g and are 12-40cm wide. Smaller bowls that produce higher tones are generally reserved for private, home use (see next).

Older bowls are hand hammered, but most modern bowls are machined and only partially hand hammered from high quality bronze. Quality examples are often stamped with the manufacturer's name near the rim. They are rarely shiny, being coated with a dark paint, (both inside and out) covering the metal. This is sometimes partially removed to highlight the exterior hammer marks.

Their tone is focused and serene. They are played with a traditional white leather covered striker with a lacquered handle, which is tapped on the outside rim. They can also be played around the rim to make them sing, although this is not done in ritual usage.

Altar bowls are small ritual bowls made from bronze or brass. They are known as 'Rin' or 'O-Rin' in Japan and typically form part of a ritual altar in the home (specifically Japan, but also some other Buddhist countries). 

They are the smallest of the singing bowl family, with some being only 5-6cm in diameter! These bowls are also the highest in pitch, going well into the 6th octave.

Looking at the photo above, the small bowl with the black coating is made of bronze, just like its larger counterparts. 

The uncoated bowls are generally made of brass, and are cast and then machine finished. There are also high quality bronze examples available too, but these are much rarer and come at a high cost. General sizes range from 100-400g and 5-13cm wide. Quality o-rin are often stamped with the manufacturer's name inside.

The coated bowls are usually struck with a smaller version of the white leather striker; the brass bowls with a small plain hardwood striker or colourful cloth-covered hardwood striker. As with the larger Temple bowls, these are usually tapped on the rim to produce the sound, and are traditionally not played around the rim to make them sing (in ritual usage), unlike Himalayan bowls.

Ultabati Bowls are a large, squat bowl type producing impressive low tones, similar to those of the Jambati. Very often the exterior of these bowls has two different finishes: the base of the bowl being covered with hammer marks and a distinctive painted-on, blackened or antiqued dark coating; and above a polished plain or textured rim, which is concave and forms a distinct 'scooped' lip. This two-tone effect is quite striking. 

Other examples can be polished (as above) or even have an entirely black exterior.

There are some that maintain the original purpose of these bowls was to brew 'Chhaang', a type of traditional grain beer; others say they were used for grain storage. Whatever the true story, their sonorous, second to third octave fundamental tones, make them a great addition to any bowl collection.

These bowls have straight, inward sloping sides, ending in a flat wide bottom and straight top with distinctive outward lip. This forms a trapezoid shape when viewed side-on. The sides are either plain or many-lined, sometimes from top to bottom. They often have groups of inner circles in the basin. The rims are broad, thick and outward facing, and are often decorated with incised lines. 

The smallest of these bowls are around 13-14cm wide, larger ones approximately 20cm, and produce tones ranging through the third, fourth and fifth octaves. 

Rim play is usually possible, but not always.

Lingam bowls are not exactly a bowl type, as Lingams can be found in virtually every variety or shape of Himalayan Singing Bowl. 

The Lingam forms a conical protrusion in the centre of the interior of the bowl and is often matched by an indentation ('navel') on the bottom of the bowl, directly underneath. This is sometimes named the 'Yoni', referencing the Male/Female spiritual principle in Hinduism and Buddhism. The Lingam is usually surrounded by several engraved concentric circles, the most highly decorated examples being found in Manipuri bowls.

The Lingam, being a very rare feature, obviously makes these bowls highly collectable. Unfortunately, this also means they are also frequent forgeries, due to the high prices genuine Lingam bowls now command. Old bowls are being repurposed by having a new Lingam welded on. This is usually obvious to the trained eye, but not always, as many bowls are sold over the internet. Caveat Emptor! 

An unusual thin, flat bowl with an inscription inside.

Rare, unusually shaped bowl (main image above) with a broad Lingam inside.

Two small Goalbati-style bowls with inwards facing lips and Sun symbol/mala decoration.

'Bodhi-style' Thadobati, a very old design, with outward curving lip on the bowl rim.

A most unusually shaped bowl, with rounded base, curved inward sides and slanting rim.

Very rare, angular, Goalbati-style bowl with extensive dot punch & linework decoration.

Shallow, shamanic style bowl with exterior linework and outwards facing rim lip.

'Pot-shaped', Trapezoid-style bowl, with rounded sides, linework and lip rim.

Unusual, angular Japanese O-rin, with engraved interior, and scalloped rim.