Tibetan Lingam Singing Bowl

Rare Antique Tibetan Lingam Singing Bowl.  E Note (Solar Plexus Chakra)

Weight 2 lb 11 ¾ oz (1.24 kilos).   19 ½ x 9 cm (approx. 7 ¾ x 3 ½ inches)

This ancient Lingam has thick high-sided walls and the classic simplicity of form typical of many older bowls.  Its profile, weight and general demeanor is similar to that of a top quality Thadobati bowl, but as this is a Lingam it differs greatly in the detail…and of course, the sound quality.  It has an excellent singing voice…a mellow E note whether struck with a mallet or played around the rim.  This bowl is very nice to listen to close-up after a gentle tap with a felt-padded mallet.

The outer surface of this bowl is unusual in that the first inch (2 ½ cm) below the rim is much smoother than the rest of the wall, which still retains many of the original hammer marks from the forging process.  This strongly suggests to me that this bowl has been played a lot with a hard ringer held vertically against the top of the wall, rather than at the more typically acute angle to the lip.  The lip itself is grooved, slightly undulating, and inward tilting.  This slight undulation can only have occurred during forging and is indicative of the difficulty experienced in creating a regular lip without simply cutting off the top of the wall.  The inside of the basin features a small but perfect lingam surrounded by three concentric circles.  The underside of this bowl is very nice, with a neat navel at its centre.

{audio}lingam1240.mp3{/audio}

Play (struck and played notes)

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