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Singing Bowls are essentially a type of inverted bell, known as a standing bell. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and tones, originating from many countries in Asia: Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bhutan, Japan, China and more. However, the origins of Singing Bowls are as enigmatic as the bowls themselves. Are they ritual or pragmatic objects? Unfortunately for scholars there is very little hard evidence available. Nothing is mentioned in the ancient texts regarding them. Although they are often called 'Tibetan bowls' it is highly unlikely that they originated from that region.
Historically, India and Nepal had access to the raw materials required, as well a vast number of craftsmen in the metalworking castes, necessary for large scale/high quality production. Yet bowls from other regions do exist. This section will seek to give a brief summary of the main types of antique and contemporary singing bowls available today, as well as some of the rarer types.
Singing bowls come in two main categories : New or Contemporary bowls; and old or Antique bowls.
New bowls are usually of medium to thick construction and can be plain (shiny new or purposely 'antiqued'); or highly decorated with acid-etched buddhist mantras and designs, bright colours and even relief images inside...all being definite, aesthetic selling points.
Some good quality new bowls may be hand hammered (fully or partially), but most are cast and machine made/finished.
Older bowls are always hand hammered, and typically have minimal to no decoration. They will have some kind of darkening patina that naturally occurs when bronze ages (unless they have been polished), and may be relatively clean or covered in marks, stains or rust/verdigris in varying degrees. Older bowls may also have some kind of inscription on them composed of a number of tiny dots that are individually punched or engraved into the metal to form a name or dedication, in one of the many sub-continental languages.
Occasionally, an inscription will be set between two or more dot-punched images (flowers, animals, fish, etc), or it may just be the decoration only, with no words. Inscriptions can also be engraved (cut into the surface of the bowl), usually near the rim and found on the larger bowls. Engraved inscriptions tend to be shorter and are easier to see as they are cut deeper into the metal.
There are also two main types: Thick construction or Thin construction.
The general rule here is: if the metal in a singing bowl is thick, it's fundamental tone will be higher; if it's thin, it will be lower.
They will sound quite different to each other as the thinner bowl will have more prominent overtones when it is struck; the thicker bowl will have a 'purer' more focused sound. New bowls tend to be almost uniformly thicker for their size, due to modern forging methods; whereas older bowls can be thick or thin. With the old bowls, this may be intentional or governed by the age and usage of the bowl.
When a bowl has seen much handling and cleaning over decades or even centuries, the metal gradually becomes thinner and worn, and exterior/interior decoration can entirely disappear. The intentionally thinner, superior quality bowls would have been very difficult to make by hand and would have required much skill; skill that is now being lost, due to the older generation dying out and today's craftsmen relying more and more on machining methods to save time, instead of the traditional labour-intensive forging methods.
Finally, there are also two main metals used to make Antique bowls: an alloy of Copper and Tin, in an approximate 80/20 split, called Bronze.
In this percentage, it forms a highly resonant alloy, aptly named 'Bell Metal'. Trace amounts of other metals and elements are sometimes found, but usually in the form of residual contaminants from the metal ore, byproducts of the ancient mining and forging methods used in centuries past.
The 'seven metals' construction of bowls that is widely spread over the internet (corresponding to the planetary astrological signs, chakras, etc.) is a marketing myth, used to add mystique to your purchase. It is basically unproven in older bowls, with metallurgical testing showing bell metal in almost every instance. The master bowl makers of old knew that the addition of any significant amounts of extra metals to the crucible will instead form an inefficient alloy, weakening the structural integrity of the bowl (as well as being detrimental to the sound quality).
The vast majority of new bowls are mould-cast from Brass, a cheaper alloy of Copper and Zinc, with an inferior sound.
These bowls may also falsely claim the seven (or more) metals construction and be overpriced accordingly.
Some quality, modern bowls are made of bronze. A very few may even actually contain the seven metals (eg. Peter Hess). However, they will only be present in minuscule amounts, so as to truthfully satisfy their claim or philosophy and also ensure the bowls are structurally sound.
Mass produced, mould-cast brass bowl with fake 'hammer marks'
A most unusual modern bowl, forged from Titanium alloy
Quality, hand hammered modern bowls, made of bronze
Interior view of a modern brass bowl with mantras and relief Buddha
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 (Thadobati 'cup' bowls, see next), but most you will encounter will be around 15-18cm wide and around 600-900g. 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, worn smooth by time. On heavier bowls this groove forms a prominent lip. The side rim of the bowl has a variety of decorations, from none to multiple lines, small 'tick' marks, or round 'sun symbols' or 'void symbols' (dots within circles), sometimes arranged in inverted triangular form at regular intervals on the bowl. Often the circles are worn down and only a row or collection of dots remain. Decoration elsewhere can include a number of uneven 'ritual gashes' or marks below the rim on the external wall (possibly used in fine-tuning the bowl's sound); and some concentric circles radiating from the centre of the inside basin. Some bowls carry dot-punched or etched inscriptions which are usually the name of a former owner or temple dedication.
Actually a sub-type of Thadobati, but as it is a bowl type you are quite likely to find or buy, included 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 somewhat rarer than on larger bowls.
Small Thado's 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 kg.
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 around 1-3kg and 25-30cm wide. Jambati bowls produce low, sustained tones, with fundamental notes ranging from low second, to 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 500-2500g. Correspondingly, they are also very high in pitch, covering the upper fourth, fifth and even sixth octaves: the opposite of the Remuna's low tones.
Mani Bowls also carry extensive line decoration (unless worn away), both inside and out, and almost always have a wide grooved inward-facing lip. 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 Singing Bowls are a shallow and open bowl style, approximately 10-25cm wide and 200-1500g in weight.
They are characterized by their low profile and wide shallow basin, producing a warm open sound. Their tones generally range from the second to fifth octaves, depending on their thickness. They can be plain (usually from wear) or highly decorated, with many lines, ritual scoring marks, sun symbols and circles, and figurative designs, inside and out.
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 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 a have 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 China, Japan, 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 500-3000g and are 12-40cm wide. Smaller bowls that produce higher tones are generally reserved for private, home use (see Altar bowls, 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 also rarely shiny, being coated with 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 form part of a ritual altar in households (specifically Japan, but also some other Asian 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.
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.
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, low second and third octave tones make them a great addition to any bowl collection.
These bowls have straight, inward sloped 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 the third, fourth and fifth octaves.
Lingam bowls are not really a bowl type as such, as Lingams can be found in Thadobati, Jamabati, Manipuri, and virtually any of the other Himalayan bowl types.
They are however, a very rare feature that makes them highly collectable. Unfortunately, this also means they are one of the most frequent forgeries, with old bowls being repurposed by having a Lingam added. This is due to the high prices original antique bowls now command.
The Lingam forms a conical protrusion in the centre of the basin of the bowl and is often matched by an indentation ('navel') on the bottom of the bowl, directly underneath the Lingam. This is sometimes named the 'Yoni', the two names referencing the Male/Female spiritual principle in Hinduism and Buddhism. The Lingam is usually surrounded by several concentric circles, and sometimes even more decoration (in Manipuri bowls especially).
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 Orin, with engraved interior, and scalloped rim.