Very Rare Antique Bell-Shaped Singing Bowl with Concert Pitch F#3 (185Hz)

Antique Bell-Shaped Singing Bowl.  F#3 (185Hz) Heart Chakra

Weight 2 lb 15 ½ oz (1.34 kilos).  19 x 9.5 cm (approx. 7 ½ x 3 ¾ inches)

This is a large and heavy bell-shaped Singing Bowl of a type rarely seen these days (circa 18th Century) with very thick, smooth, and slightly splayed walls and a sloping grooved lip.  And this heavy bowl is the most distinctive I have come across with its exaggerated bell-like form in 30 years of collecting.    

All of its decorative incised lines below the rim and the concentric circles in the centre have been worn away through use and cleaning over the passing of time, but the outer wall has two interesting irregular bands of ritual gashes of a type occasionally seen on other early antique bowl forms.  There is another similar band of gashes high up on the inside wall too.  This fascinating old bowl is in excellent and clean condition.  It feels smooth and sensual in the hand and is a pleasure to hold and play.

This bowl has a fabulous voice…a perfect concert pitch third octave F# (176Hz) when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a suede ringer.  The sound is as distinctive as its shape, and not surprisingly has something of a bell-like ring to it.  The rim note changes to a middle B (500Hz) if a wooden ringer is used.

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

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Listen: (2 struck notes and 2 played notes, first with suede then wooden ringers)