Inscribed and Engraved Antique Singing Bowls

There are well over 50 inscribed antique bowls in my collection…but make no mistake, inscriptions are extremely rare. Inscriptions are mainly found on superior quality Lingam and Jambati bowls…bowls that have served a ritual or ceremonial purpose, or have been dedicated to a deity or commissioned by or for a shrine, monastery, or temple. Inscriptions are also occasionally found on other singing bowl types, as well as shaman medicine and divination bowls. The older and larger a bowl is, the more likely it will be to have an Inscription. The exception being Chalice or Stem bowls, where inscriptions are customary and fairly commonplace.

Inscribed bowls are generally superior quality and aesthetically pleasing. They are responsive and easy to play, and tend to have more complex harmonics or purer voices. Some are made to be struck, rather than played around the rim, and have more vibrant energy and longer sustains. Inscribed bowls also tend to be cleaner and better preserved than plain bowls because of their ritual and ceremonial status, and the high esteem in which they were held by a former keeper.

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