Tibetan Hanging Bells

Tibetan Hanging Bells

These three Himalayan Singing Bowls, were never intended to be hung in this manner. Presumably, they were strung upside-down after they came into the possession of Henry LeGran Cannon, who then donated them to the museum. Originally, these objects would have been instruments associated with meditation, to be held in the left hand and played with the right by running the striker around the edge of the bowl (as shown in the video here). The sound produced would be a sustained reverberation of very particular tonal quality based on the size and shape of each bowl.

Curated by Courtney Lynch

Alloyed metal

Tibet, Nepal or Northern India