Standing bell
Singing bowls, also known as Himalayan bowls, cup gongs or (in Japan) rin gongs, are a musical instrument used in Buddhist meditation, dating back many centuries. They were traditionally found in Tibet, Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, Japan, and Korea where they were used by Buddhist monks and lay people. Today they are enjoyed around the world by meditators, health professionals, and anyone who enjoys their beautiful sound. Singing bowls are used in meditation, yoga, therapy, music, sound healing, and for personal enjoyment.
The instrument is made of metal. Antiques were made of bronze, often of very fine quality alloy. New singing bowls are made from industrial quality metal, mainly copper. They are exported widely from Nepal and India. Singing bowls are also made today in Japan and Korea but are not widely exported from those countries.
Many new singing bowls are made to look antique. Many bowls sold as 'antique' are in fact new. Only a few dealers know how to accurately assess antiques. Many dealers call them 'old,' 'vintage,' or 'antique' without really knowing the true age. Genuine antique singing bowls are rare and are available from only a few suppliers.
Antique singing bowls were made of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin that often included precious metals such as silver and gold. Many other metals, including zinc, iron, and nickel may also be present.
Singing bowls are played by striking with a soft mallet. This produces a warm bell tone. They can also be played by slowly rubbing a wooden mallet around the rim of the bowl to produce a continuous 'singing' sound.
New bowls sound like clear bells and often ring for a very long time. Antique singing bowls produce a more complex, warm and melodious tone. Antique singing bowls produce multiple harmonic overtones. Being made of several metals, they produce several harmonic frequencies at once.
The sound of an antique singing bowl is very relaxing and the calming effects of the instrument are widely researched and explored by medical professionals and therapists. The beneficial effects of the subtle harmonic overtones are immediate and dramatic. New singing bowls and crystal bowls do not produce multiple harmonic overtones and do not produce the beneficial effects of the best antique bronze bowls.
Singing bowls can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs and colors. New bowls are often decorated and made with various religious themes and symbols, like the Tibetan mantra om mani padme hum, pictures of the Buddha, mandalas, the eight auspicious signs, etc.
Antique singing bowls never feature such complex ornimentation but often have abstract decoration like lines, rings and circles etched into the surface. The traditional manufacturing process is now considered a lost art. New bowls are made from cheaper materials and modern industrial processes. New bowls are often made to look antique and many dealers unknowingly sell new bowls as antiques.