Rare Large Antique Manipuri-Lingam Singing Bowl – P Pitch E3 and Long Sacred OM Inscription

This is a fabulous example of a superior quality antique Lingam Singing Bowl.  Apart from being a very rare Manipuri-Lingam hybrid with a superb perfect pitch voice, it has two outstanding features that make its special and very collectable…its large 9 ½ inch diameter and a very long sacred OM inscription set between two illustrated fish.  Lingam and Manipuri bowls seldom have diameters above 8 inches, making this bowl a rare exception.  

Lingam bowls occasionally bear inscriptions, but Manipuri almost never, and inscriptions are invariably fairly short and situated on the outer wall below the rim.  This bowl is very different in that it carries an extremely long inscription that covers half of the inner rim’s circumference.  It was sourced in India, and the fine dot-punched inscription appears to be in Hindi.  A Nepali friend attempted a translation and it appears to be a dedication to 5 sacred Hindu Gods or deities, with a reference to the sacred OM.  There was also a possible reference to the year 1981 which might be the date when this antique bowl was inscribed.  Inscriptions are always a sign of the high esteem in which a bowl was held by a former keeper.  They add both interest and value to a bowl.

The fundamental note is a lovely spot-on perfect pitch third octave G3 (164Hz) when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a suede ringer.  The rim note changes to another near perfect note, a middle octave Bb4 (464/5Hz) with a wooden ringer.  It is a very responsive bowl and easy to play.

This antique bowl has all the physical characteristics of a normal Manipuri with its shallow and low profile and multiple lines around the outer rim.  But it is further distinguished by the extremely rare addition of a fabulous lingam surrounded and defined by 2 sets of circles at its center, with a matching navel or yoni underneath.

It is in excellent museum quality condition, clean and stain-free, with a beautiful aged patina acquired with the passage of time.

This bowl looks ancient and feels sacred and purposeful.

Rare, beautiful, and collectable!

A Tibetan silk brocade bowl cushion and a ringer are included in the price.