One of the mysteries surrounding singing bowl history concerns one type of bowl with an unusual shape. I have always called them the Monks Bowls because their shape is similar to the typical Buddhist alms bowl.
The distinctive pear shape is one thing that makes the monks bowls unique. Another is the fact that most of them are inscribed. There are long strings of characters around the rim, probably names of the monks that used them. The inscriptions are done with punched dots in a unique point script.
Another unique feature of the monks bowls is the bright golden color. Most of them have resisted oxidation for centuries and retain a nice bright color. Even though testing revealed no difference in the metal composition, they are also unusually light weight. This is likely due to thin hammering around the curved part of the bowl.
Scroll through the bowls in this collection:
