Singing Bowl with Striker and Cushion

ClassificationsTools and Equipment-musical instruments

Culture Tibetan

Date20th Century

Made AtTibet Autonomous Region, China, Asia

MediumFabric, thread, silk, brass and wood

Dimensions2019.15.30a: 4 × 7 3/4 × 7 3/4 in. (10.2 × 19.7 × 19.7 cm)
2019.15.30b: 5 5/8 × 1 × 1 in. (14.3 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm)
2019.15.30c: 4 × 8 × 8 in. (10.2 × 20.3 × 20.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Object number2019.15.30a-c

DescriptionSinging bowls are said to have originated to the time of the Buddha Shakyamuni (560 – 480 B.C.). They came from India with the traditional teachings of Buddhism by the great tantric master Padmasambhava in the 8th century. Singing bowls are used to invoke a meditative state by using their sounds with insight a state of relaxation, which makes them essential to the meditative process. Along with meditation, singing bowls are used as for holistic healing and chakra balance. There are multiple techniques to playing a singing bowl. The most basic of these techniques is the “Around-the-Rim” technique, which is where the player rubs the mallet clockwise around the outside edge of the rim of the bowl and lets the sound of the bowl slowly grow more intense from inside the bell. More advance techniques include the “Wah-Wah” and the “Water Bowl”. The “Wah-Wah” technique is used after the “Around-the-Rim” technique, where the player raises the bowl up to their and opens and closes their mouth. By changing the shape of the oral cavity, it allows the sound of the singing bowl to bounce around inside of their mouth and then be reflected back. The “Water Bowl” technique uses the “Around-the-World” technique and adds water to the bowl to let the sound vibrate through the water.

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