Ultabati Singing Bowls

ULTABATI SINGING BOWLS come from BANGLADESH, not India, Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet, and it is only recently that Bangladesh has been recognized by bowl hunters and dealers as an exciting new unexplored source of genuine antique singing bowls. This explains the Ultabati’s late arrival on the international singing bowl market and their scarcity compared to Jambati, the other large singing bowl type which is more widely distributed throughout the Himalayas.

Ultabati bowls are impressively large, capacious and cauldron-like, with diameters that range from 8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 cm). Bowls over 12 inches (30 cm) are particularly rare and sought after for their aesthetic appeal and unique sonic and therapeutic qualities.

Ultabati are easily recognized by their pronounced scooped rim and shoulder, unlike Jambati which are more basin-like with walls that curve continuously to the rim. And, uniquely, Ultabati singing bowls have plain downward sloping sheered lips; the higher edge facing inside. There are other important differences too, the main one being the thinness of the Ultabati’s wall compared to that of the Jambati. Their finely hammered walls not only make them physically lighter, and therefore easier to hold and play for an extended period, but facilitate a low vibrational resonance and timbre that gives the Ultabati its unique voice and an energy that can be physically felt some distance away from the bowl’s surface. Ultabati have more vibrant energy than any other singing bowl type.

They also sound very different to their Jambati cousins, although their fundamental notes occupy the same low 2nd and 3rd octave frequencies when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a ringer. Both bowl types have long sustains. However, the Ultabati’s vibrant energy lends more power, gravitas and reverence to the low frequency notes. They are also capable of producing the sacred OM sound that is spiritually significant to Buddhists, and most bowls will produce vibrant fountains of energized water when played around the rim with a little water inside. Ultabati bowls are very versatile.

The Ultabati’s scooped collar makes them more difficult and time-consuming to produce than Jambati bowls. It takes 4 skilled craftsmen working in unison to forge and hammer the hot metal into shape, and others to refine the lip, add decorative features, and polish the bowl when it cools. Great attention is paid to their aesthetic appearance as well as their sound. Their outer walls sometimes feature contrasting surface finishes…the scooped rim being polished and shiny compared to the hammered surface below, which occasionally is blackened. A pair of finely incised parallel lines form a decorative boundary between the scooped rim and shoulder. The bowls interior is typically sensually smooth and polished to a beautiful golden bronze, and there are usually some decorative concentric circles radiating from its centre. Occasionally a large Ultabati bowl will be found with an incised (never punched) inscription below the scooped collar or shoulder. This could be the name of its owner, a mantra, or a dedication to a deity or temple. Ultabati bowls are beautiful objects to look at and therefore display well.

I believe their primary historical purpose was to produce sound, and it seems likely that the larger Ultabati, and Ultabati-Lingams in particular, served a sacred, ceremonial, or ritual function. Their superior quality, fabulous voices and vibrant energy, together with their often unblemished state of preservation are proof that they have been highly prized and cared for. It is quite possible that some were commissioned for, or by, a temple or monastery to serve a ceremonial or ritual purpose.

Antique singing bowls are typically made from a bronze alloy consisting of approximately 88% copper and 12% of tin. This ratio, known as bell metal, increases the rigidity of the metal and its sonorous qualities. The actual proportions will vary a little, and sometimes small amounts of another metal, usually iron or perhaps a gold or silver coin, are added to the molten mix. Copper’s natural antibacterial properties are known to help eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses from water, and today antique Ultabati bowls are still used by rural Bangladeshi communities to keep milk fresh and for making curd, a traditional Indian yogurt. Others are used for medicinal purposes or the storage of dry grain. While their original purpose as singing bowls may be lost in time, the use of antique Ultabati bowls as containers for milk and curd may account for their often excellent state of preservation.

The rare Antique Ultabati Singing Bowls listed for sale here are among the very finest examples in the world today. See them now before they go!

Click here for Ultabati Bowls.