Rare and Extraordinary Antique Lingam Singing Bowl – Fabulous Bb4 (454Hz)

Antique Lingam Singing Bowl. Note: Bb4 (Crown Chakra)

Weight 1.33 kilos (2 lb 15 oz).  Size 19 x 10 cm (7 ½ x 4 inches)

This rare antique Lingam Singing Bowl has an extraordinary shape and a unique voice to match.  The fundamental note is a middle Bb4 (454Hz) when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a suede or wooden ringer.  The powerful struck note has a  good sustain, while the played rim note has a noticable beat, quite similar to that of a Mani, and its unusual shape amplifies the sound.   It is a responsive bowl and easy to play.

This is an exceptionally large and heavy bowl for a Lingam.  It has smooth walls inside and out and a wide and distinctive grooved flanged lip.  There is a large lingam at its centre surrounded by circles, and a deep matching yoni or navel underneath.  The upper half of the outer wall unusually features multiple decorative bands, and underneath some tiny inclusions (dust or grits) in the molten bronze mixture bare evidence to the primitive conditions under which it was forged.  These can be seen as raised pimples on the surface.

This rare Lingam is believed to date from the early 1800s and is one of two similar bowls found together in Nepal, and it seems quite likely that they came from the same forge. The other bowl is a smaller and lighter Eb4 and is listed here.  It  has a bright golden bronze colour and is in excellent and clean condition.

A Tibetan silk brocade bowl cushion, a padded striker and a double-ended teak and suede ringer are all included in the price.

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Listen: (4 struck notes and 1 played note)