Rare Mustard Gold C4 Antique Lingam Singing Bowl – Inscriptions

Were it not for the lingam and navel one might easily mistake this old bowl for a high-sided and flat-bottomed Thadobati; its general shape being typical of that bowl type.  However, the first thing one notices about this antique Lingam bowl is its extraordinary colour…a rich mustardy gold!  The second is its smooth, matt, and seemingly featureless outer surface…but on close inspection it becomes apparent that this bowl originally possessed a decorative dotted border and parallel incised lines below the outer rim, and another pair of lines encircling its middle…all of which have all but disappeared with use over time.

The inside also appears to be quite plain, but I recalled that another Lingam bowl of a similar shape and with decorative lines around its belly also featured tiny pin-prick symbols and inscriptions inside…so I took a closer look, and sure enough there they were, although worn away and barely visible.  There’s nothing seriously worth looking at…just a faint pin-prick trace of the past.  The point here is that this bowl has been around a long time, and was once deemed special enough to be intricately inscribed by a former keeper.

This bowl is very responsive and easy to play.  The fundamental note is a fabulous middle C (266Hz) when struck with a padded mallet or played around the rim with a ringer, both of which are included in the price.

The structural condition of this Lingam bowl is excellent.  Its grooved lip is the thickness of the wall.  There is a simple mounded lingam at its centre, and underneath there is a neat navel in the middle.

A rather beautiful bowl that will appeal to the discerning collector!