History, origin and composition of Tibetan bowls, examples of different types of bowls

The history of singing bowls was written in a region that includes Nepal, northern India and the area of ​​western China known as Tibet. We generally call this region the Himalayas. Although the name "Tibetan" bowls is not entirely accurate and the bowls really came to this area a little later, in the western world this name is established and therefore, for the sake of simplicity, let's continue with the name Tibetan bowls or singing bowls. Bowls from all these areas also have their own specifics, such as wall thickness, color, shape, typical composition, ornamentation, engraving and various others. See their examples below:

 

The processing of metals in this region has a tradition of several thousand years. Although there are no exact records of the origin of the production of Tibetan bowls, it is believed that there were craftsmen in this area as early as the time of the living Buddha, that is, in the middle of the first millennium B.C.
 Although it is tempting to think that bowls or other bronze objects were mainly used as religious implements mainly in Buddhism, this is not quite the case. Tibetans, or people from the Himalayas in general, already had their own animistic religion - shamanism. In the center of the worship of this religion were mainly the forces of nature, the elements, various spirits and also their own deities. Although Buddhism later became the dominant religion and philosophy, these elements of the original animistic religion - shamanism - are still noticeable in it today. Therefore Buddhism in this area is also called Tibetan Buddhism.

Bronze objects were also used for religious purposes, during ceremonies, when making sacrifices or burning incense, but their frequent use was in households. So bowls were used for cooking, food storage, for the same purpose as they are used in households today, let's say plastic bowls, porcelain or classic pots. However, the bowls, which we could call "singing bowls", have a slightly shorter history, approximately 2000 years. Their predecessors were mainly bronze bells.

Since the tradition of making tools or objects from metal is very old in Asia, it would be wrong to assume that the art of metalworking originated in the Himalayan region. The Bronze Age in China took place approximately 3500 years ago. Bronze tools from much earlier times have even been found in other areas of Asia. This art probably penetrated the Himalayan region from the east, that is, from today´s China, which was more advanced in many ways at that time. This craft found a fertile ground here mainly thanks to the rich reserves of metal ore.

This is not entirely the case. If each of these metals were more prominently contained in singing bowls, they would probably be significantly more expensive and, more importantly, not so singing. Only two of these seven metals are essential for the sound of the bowl: copper and tin, in the approximate ratio of 80% to 85% copper and 15% to 20% tin. Such an alloy is also called bronze or bell bronze. Gold, silver and iron can be present in bowls and may not be harmful to the sound, or the bowl will acquire a special sound characteristic with their contribution, but they are usually only trace amounts. Lead and mercury are not essential for the sound, but they can also be present in very small amounts in traditional bowls.

A similar compound, from which singing bowls or musical instruments in general are also made, is brass. Copper is also present in this alloy, but tin is replaced by zinc. Here is an approximate ratio of 60% copper to 40% zinc. Brass is a softer material than bronze, it is slightly prone to corrosion and also does not achieve the same purity of sound as bronze, at least as far as singing bowls are concerned. However, brass may be more suitable for other musical instruments.
 

Nowadays, modern therapeutic bowls are also produced, where only extremely pure metals are used for the production of bowls, and production is already taking place using modern methods of the 21st century, incomparable to the original procedures used in the Himalayan region. In this way, bowls can be produced in repeatable high quality and with the sound properties that are just required.

Whether you come across bowls made in an almost primitive way in the original Himalayan region or sleek therapy bowls made in modern conditions, you are sure to be mesmerized by the natural power that these tools contain. You probably won't forget the first moment when such a singing bowl is in your hands and you hear its tones. In the sound of the bowl you will find something inexplicable, something enchanting, something soothing and something that transcends your own existence, like nature itself, which affects us in the same way. It is one of the ways that our Earth speaks to us with the help of its gifts - metal. Every person who listens to this cosmic song will certainly find his own way of perceiving this phenomenon. The personal experience will be different for everyone, and yet in some ways the same.