Rare, Thick & Heavy Antique Ultabati Singing Bowl – E4

This is an extraordinary bowl – one of  only two of its kind in my collection.  It has the typical Ultabati body shape with its scooped shoulder and downward sloping rim but, unlike most Ultabati bowls this bowl is smaller, super-thick and heavy.  It’s almost as though a regular Ultabati bowl has been compressed and shrunken to become half its normal size and twice as thick!

This bowl is likely to have been custom made to serve a particular purpose, not necessarily a musical one.  Personally, I would be tempted to use it as a container for sacred items such as rings, Mala beads, or phurba.

The fundamental is a middle octave E4 (325Hz) and is best struck with a hard wooden ringer.  Rim play is possible but builds slowly.

This superior quality antique Ultabati bowl has a scooped shoulder, a grooved lip, and a thick downward-sloping rim.  There are deeply incised decorative lines around the inner rim and circles at its centre, and multiple fine lines between the outer rim and the shoulder.

This is a very old bowl, possibly 18th century, and copper oxidization and surface crazing bear witness to its long life, and it really looks its age.  However, it is structurally sound and has great aesthetic appeal!

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

Note: Audio clips coming soon.