Utterly Unique Antique Lingam Singing Bowl – Self-Amplifying F4

This extraordinary one-of-a-kind antique Lingam Singing Bowl’s unique shape must surely relate to a special function, although I can only guess at what that might be.  It certainly has interesting sonic qualities, but perhaps it also served as a ritual or ceremonial vessel.

It is best held on the flat palm of one hand and struck on the rim with a padded mallet in the other, when it produces a rather nice self-amplifying middle octave F4 (351Hz).  It is best struck repetitively; allowing the sound to build up.  There is no rim play with a suede ringer, but a wooden one produces a fifth octave B5 (1005Hz).  It’s interesting to note that there are no historical records on how a bowl should be played, and it’s perfectly possible that some bowls were meant to be struck.

This unique bowl would have been extremely difficult to make and hammer into shape, and yet it has been beautifully and perfectly forged.  It has a very unusual flanged lip with a downward sloping and grooved rim that is much smaller in diameter than the bowl’s shoulder at its widest.  The bowl’s wall is widest at its midpoint, where it then slopes inward to a gently rounded bottom.  The entire upper half of the bowl, including the inside and outside of the rim, is decorated with multiple incised circles that tail off on its lower half.  The lingam at its centre is surrounded and defined by two sets of circles, matched by a deep navel or yoni underneath.

The condition of this bowl is exceptional, clean and stain-free.  Its excellent state of preservation strongly suggests that it served a special purpose.  Its lower wall is so smooth from handling and long use that it’s hard to believe it was actually forged and beaten into shape with hammers.  It has a fabulous golden bronze colour.

This bowl is believed to date from the 1800s and is without doubt one of the rarest and most interesting singing bowls in my entire collection.

A double-ended teak and suede ringer is included in the price.