Exceptionally Rare Large Antique Lingam Singing & Talking Bowl – Inscription

This is a an exceptionally rare example of an antique Lingam Singing and Talking bowl.   It has a beautiful third octave G3 (190Hz – 192Hz) fundamental that is close to perfect pitch when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a suede ringer.  The rim note changes to a fifth octave C#5 (576Hz) with a wooden ringer.

It  has an excellent talking voice when struck or played and rocked back and forth with a little water inside, and also has some vibrant fountain ability.  Talking bowls are extremely rare, especially among lingams, and are highly prized by shamans for their ability to connect and communicate with the spirit world.

This 19th Century bowl also benefits from a well-defined engraved inscription below the rim on the exterior wall.  It reads Matabi kohaien Sah, a Bengali name.  Very few bowls carry inscriptions, and they are a sign of the high esteem in which a bowl was held by a former keeper.

This attractive antique bowl has a relatively low and slightly globular wall, with a sheered lip, and a smallish flat bottom.  A band of tiny dots decorate the outer rim.  There is a pointed Lingam at its centre surrounded and defined by circles, with a matching yoni or navel underneath.

It is structurally sound, clean and stain-free, with a little surface pitting and copper oxidization inside, and an attractive aged patina outside.  It has the look and feel of purpose and antiquity.

A rare and very special bowl indeed!

A Tibetan silk brocade bowl cushion, padded striker, and ringer are all included in the price.