Tibet, Nepal
Tibetan and Nepalese

Metal, wood, cloth
19th century
Diameter: 11.5 in; Height: 4.75 in
Idiophones – Struck Idiophones – Bells

Tibetan singing bowls (also known as Himalayan bowls) are an inverted bell, supported from below with the rim uppermost. Such bells are normally bowl-shaped and exist in a wide range of sizes. They are often played by striking, but some known as singing bowls, may also be played by rotating a mallet around the outside rim to produce a sustained musical note.  Buddhist monks have long used the Tibetan singing bowls to accompany meditation and chanting.  In addition, some wellness practitioners (including music therapists, massage therapists, and yoga therapists) use Tibetan singing bowls during treatment. These singing bowls originated in China from an early form of bell called nao, that were played with the mouth facing upward.

This singing bowl is known as the jambati  type which can vary in size, but are usually the larger and heavier types of the singing bowls.  It has high and gracefully curved walls and a small flat bottom with a triangulated inward-facing lip.  Decoration consists of  incised lines forming a band or collar close to the outer rim and there are visible hammer marks both outside and inside the bowl.