Thank you for the very informative video. I have bowls made in 17th, 18th and 19th century. Some of them have brown and green rust inside the bowls. How can I clean them?
I have a bowl with etched design and a beautiful ring to it. I've had it a long time, strong ring when tapped. Round opening about 10 inches across. Interesting....
I have a bronze singing bowl that has a lot of patina and unscripted all on the bottom.i have been doing antiques my whole life junk my shop is awesome
Yes bronze goes through changes on the molecular level and you can feel the difference in very old metal. But to really understand this you have to look with an electron microscope. I have studied antique singing bowls with archaeological metallurgists using electron microscopes. It helped me determine the timeline of singing bowls but not by any direct aging process, more by their relationship to other types of bronze bowls. What we see is the structure of the metal and bi-products which the scientists can extrapolate manufacturing temperatures and manufacturing techniques. That helps me determine the age by relating the manufacturing methods between different types of bowls and thereby establishing relationships. I discuss this in my book, The Singing Bowl Book, how the electron microscope examination helped understand the relationship between the Himalayan singing bowls and other types of bowls, including earlier bowls from Ancient Persia as well as more recent bowls from Southeast Asia.
We acquired a bowl, had no clue what it was but after researching, my opinion is that it is a singing bowl. Watching your video, the lips of all the bowls shown were pretty thick, ours is a bit thinner. Was the lip made in various thicknesses?
How to date singing bowls: offer to buy them dinner. all jokes aside loved the video but I was wondering if you could cover the engraving types found in various places on the bowls, and how that can affect the process of dating bowls. For example I have a medium size heavy patina Thado that's likely 200+ years old however it has quite a bit of engraving work done on it, so I figure I may be able to find a more approximate age for it based on the art motifs found on it
Yes I cover that in my book, The Singing Bowl Book. There are not many antiques with a lot of engraving. They’re mostly simple lines or circles around the rim. Some have floral patterns. There are not many more antique engravings than that. If you send me a photo I can tell you more. Email HimalayanBowls@gmail.com
No it’s not. Carbon dating does not work on metal. It only works on organic matter containing carbon. The dating we have done is an analysis of the metallurgy through electron microscope, which allows us to determine factors in the manufacturing, like the temperature used to heat the metal, impurities in the metal and how the metal is aging. By comparing the results of the metallurgical analysis (which was done by the Archaeological Metallurgists at Oxford) with cultural evidence, like similarity in shape and decorative motifs, I was able to develop a comprehensive timeline of the singing bowls, extending 1,000 years and covering an area from ancient Persia all the way to Japan. It’s an interesting process and it’s discussed in more detail in my book, The Singing Bowl Book, available on my website HimalayanBowls.com and on Amazon in print and kindle. Here’s the print version: The Singing Bowl Book: 8.5"x11" Coffee Table Edition w/ 140 Color Photos www.amazon.com/dp/1717575021/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JHseEbQ26178K
My family owns a singing bowl that they were told was pretty old. The bowl is huge, probably about 12 inches in diameter at its largest. The bowl seems to be Chinese and has a signature on the bottom of it but I honestly don’t think it’s an actual relic. Seems to have some sort of dynasty mark on the bottom of it but it also has the word China in English on it which seems off to me
You're correct - when an object says "China" or "Japan" in English, that means it was made for export and is not older than the 20th century. What you describe sounds like some kind of decorative metal bowl, not a singing bowl. There are all types of metal bowls in the world but they're not all singing bowls.
Hi Joseph and thank you for sharing your knowledge about these beautiful instruments. I have a question for you. I have heard that the singing bowls do not come from Tibet but from Nepal. That the "Tibetan singing bowls" name is more of a marketing kind of trick than a true fact. What do you know about this? Thanx
Paco Labbé that’s true. Singing bowls are from Nepal. They were never from Tibet. The reason and the whole history is explained in my book The Singing Bowl Book
Paco Labbé The Same goes for “antique” bowls. Most bowls are simply bowls and the whole “antique” thing is marketing. Of course there are older ones, but there are not per se better. It’s a marketing strategy of western people so that they can ask incredible large amounts of money for bowls.
@@techtrip4435 You are incorrect. Antique singing bowls are very different. There's no marketing to it - a bowl is either antique or it's not. The older they get, the better they sound. Antique singing bowls sound and feel quite different. They were often made better to begin with, then they are further transformed by the aging process. It's true that some low quality antiques are nothing special - some of the later antiques are pretty low quality. Many are worse than my new handmade bowls because we're making the new bowls so beautifully today. However, the best antiques are real treasures - they are much, much better than anything made in the last 200 years. Just take a look and listen to the better antiques at www.HimalayanBowls.com and you'll experience at least some of the difference. Listen with headphones!
I'm reading that these bowls are not Tibetan but are a modern phenomenon with roots in the Japanese rin bowl, which happens to be Buddhist. The Japanese laqured the bowls. All that said I love the bowls both look and sound.
No that’s not accurate. I also discuss in my book the fact that they’re not from Tibet but can be considered culturally Tibetan. They definitely did not originate in Japan. In fact Japan probably got them last. Read my book The Singing Bowl Book to learn the real history of singing bowls, which I worked out by metallurgical testing as well as cultural study in 10 countries. It’s the only comprehensive history of singing bowls ever created. I lay out the whole timeline and cultural connections over 1,000 years and a vast region all the way from ancient Persia to Japan.
@@himalayanbowls Thank you. You should post articles online if possible. In any event, they are beautiful and sound beautiful, which is what matters. Even if they were more contemporary I wouldn't care.
How old are the Cobrebati’s usually? Mine has triangular engravings on the outside rim along with two rings inside. The patina looks like the first bowl you showed.
i am trying to sell an old, bronze and gold flecked large tibetan singing bowl - it has twin skins so can be handled whilst playing - has a very deep sound - no idea where to start re sales as yet ?
Thank you for the very informative video. I have bowls made in 17th, 18th and 19th century. Some of them have brown and green rust inside the bowls. How can I clean them?
This was incredibly informative thank you!
I have a bowl with etched design and a beautiful ring to it. I've had it a long time, strong ring when tapped. Round opening about 10 inches across. Interesting....
I have a bronze singing bowl that has a lot of patina and unscripted all on the bottom.i have been doing antiques my whole life junk my shop is awesome
How should i care for my old(antique?) bowls
I learned that bronze has a quality of restructuring in the course of time and that could be the best way to get an indication of the age of the bowl
Yes bronze goes through changes on the molecular level and you can feel the difference in very old metal. But to really understand this you have to look with an electron microscope. I have studied antique singing bowls with archaeological metallurgists using electron microscopes. It helped me determine the timeline of singing bowls but not by any direct aging process, more by their relationship to other types of bronze bowls. What we see is the structure of the metal and bi-products which the scientists can extrapolate manufacturing temperatures and manufacturing techniques. That helps me determine the age by relating the manufacturing methods between different types of bowls and thereby establishing relationships. I discuss this in my book, The Singing Bowl Book, how the electron microscope examination helped understand the relationship between the Himalayan singing bowls and other types of bowls, including earlier bowls from Ancient Persia as well as more recent bowls from Southeast Asia.
loved the video! Thank you so much
Loved the video, great information, thank you ~
Thank you - glad you liked it. I have some new videos - check them out!
We acquired a bowl, had no clue what it was but after researching, my opinion is that it is a singing bowl. Watching your video, the lips of all the bowls shown were pretty thick, ours is a bit thinner. Was the lip made in various thicknesses?
How to date singing bowls: offer to buy them dinner. all jokes aside loved the video but I was wondering if you could cover the engraving types found in various places on the bowls, and how that can affect the process of dating bowls. For example I have a medium size heavy patina Thado that's likely 200+ years old however it has quite a bit of engraving work done on it, so I figure I may be able to find a more approximate age for it based on the art motifs found on it
Yes I cover that in my book, The Singing Bowl Book. There are not many antiques with a lot of engraving. They’re mostly simple lines or circles around the rim. Some have floral patterns. There are not many more antique engravings than that. If you send me a photo I can tell you more. Email HimalayanBowls@gmail.com
Thanks for the video. Is it possible to use something like Carbon-14 for dating these bowls more accurately?
No it’s not. Carbon dating does not work on metal. It only works on organic matter containing carbon. The dating we have done is an analysis of the metallurgy through electron microscope, which allows us to determine factors in the manufacturing, like the temperature used to heat the metal, impurities in the metal and how the metal is aging. By comparing the results of the metallurgical analysis (which was done by the Archaeological Metallurgists at Oxford) with cultural evidence, like similarity in shape and decorative motifs, I was able to develop a comprehensive timeline of the singing bowls, extending 1,000 years and covering an area from ancient Persia all the way to Japan. It’s an interesting process and it’s discussed in more detail in my book, The Singing Bowl Book, available on my website HimalayanBowls.com and on Amazon in print and kindle. Here’s the print version: The Singing Bowl Book: 8.5"x11" Coffee Table Edition w/ 140 Color Photos www.amazon.com/dp/1717575021/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JHseEbQ26178K
Very interesting, thanks for the detailed answer!
My family owns a singing bowl that they were told was pretty old. The bowl is huge, probably about 12 inches in diameter at its largest. The bowl seems to be Chinese and has a signature on the bottom of it but I honestly don’t think it’s an actual relic. Seems to have some sort of dynasty mark on the bottom of it but it also has the word China in English on it which seems off to me
You're correct - when an object says "China" or "Japan" in English, that means it was made for export and is not older than the 20th century. What you describe sounds like some kind of decorative metal bowl, not a singing bowl. There are all types of metal bowls in the world but they're not all singing bowls.
Hi Joseph and thank you for sharing your knowledge about these beautiful instruments. I have a question for you. I have heard that the singing bowls do not come from Tibet but from Nepal. That the "Tibetan singing bowls" name is more of a marketing kind of trick than a true fact. What do you know about this?
Thanx
Paco Labbé that’s true. Singing bowls are from Nepal. They were never from Tibet. The reason and the whole history is explained in my book The Singing Bowl Book
Paco Labbé The Same goes for “antique” bowls. Most bowls are simply bowls and the whole “antique” thing is marketing. Of course there are older ones, but there are not per se better. It’s a marketing strategy of western people so that they can ask incredible large amounts of money for bowls.
@@techtrip4435 You are incorrect. Antique singing bowls are very different. There's no marketing to it - a bowl is either antique or it's not. The older they get, the better they sound. Antique singing bowls sound and feel quite different. They were often made better to begin with, then they are further transformed by the aging process. It's true that some low quality antiques are nothing special - some of the later antiques are pretty low quality. Many are worse than my new handmade bowls because we're making the new bowls so beautifully today. However, the best antiques are real treasures - they are much, much better than anything made in the last 200 years. Just take a look and listen to the better antiques at www.HimalayanBowls.com and you'll experience at least some of the difference. Listen with headphones!
I'm reading that these bowls are not Tibetan but are a modern phenomenon with roots in the Japanese rin bowl, which happens to be Buddhist. The Japanese laqured the bowls. All that said I love the bowls both look and sound.
No that’s not accurate. I also discuss in my book the fact that they’re not from Tibet but can be considered culturally Tibetan. They definitely did not originate in Japan. In fact Japan probably got them last. Read my book The Singing Bowl Book to learn the real history of singing bowls, which I worked out by metallurgical testing as well as cultural study in 10 countries. It’s the only comprehensive history of singing bowls ever created. I lay out the whole timeline and cultural connections over 1,000 years and a vast region all the way from ancient Persia to Japan.
@@himalayanbowls Thank you. You should post articles online if possible. In any event, they are beautiful and sound beautiful, which is what matters. Even if they were more contemporary I wouldn't care.
How old are the Cobrebati’s usually? Mine has triangular engravings on the outside rim along with two rings inside. The patina looks like the first bowl you showed.
Hi if you'd like to email me a photo, I can tell you more about your bowl. Email himalayanbowls@gmail.com
Sorry meant to say I do not deal in junk and this bowl I will try and post a photo tommorow
Sure feel free to email me a photo and I can tell you more about it.
@@himalayanbowls I do not know how to send photos
i am trying to sell an old, bronze and gold flecked large tibetan singing bowl - it has twin skins so can be handled whilst playing - has a very deep sound - no idea where to start re sales as yet ?
looks like 19 or 18 century engineered lip - no visible hammermarks - big dark patina coating - bronze and gold fleck interior
Hi, You can email me a photo or two and I can try to tell you more about it. himalayanbowls@gmail.com
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