About Singing Bowls

Below are answers to commonly asked questions about singing bowls.

Are your antiques real antiques? Yes. Every antique singing bowl sold by Himalayan Bowls has been hand selected and authenticated by antique singing bowl expert Joseph Feinstein. Each singing bowl listed in our antique galleries is a genuine antique, over 100 years old. Himalayan Bowls is one of the only sellers of real antiques. There are many new bowls sold online as "old," "vintage," or "antique." Beware of fakes and copies.

How do you know the age? I'm an expert in antique bronze and have dated thousands of Asian antiques. My dating system has been confirmed by university and museum professionals over the last 15 years, including the Archaeological Metallurgists at Oxford University.

Is that really what the singing bowls sound like? Yes - Joseph records every single singing bowl personally so you can hear the exact bowl you can order online. Each singing bowl is carefully recorded with professional audio equipment. It's best to listen with headphones or really good speakers. Computer speakers and laptop speakers are not adequate. The low tones cannot be heard with computer speakers at all. The recordings are very accurate but in person they are even better. In person the bowls tend to sound a bit more smooth. Also you can feel the vibration, which is a big part of the experience.

How do you play the singing bowls in the sound clips? All the bowls are recorded by striking them 1 time with a soft mallet. You will receive the same mallet that we use to record the bowls. Singing bowls up to 9" are recorded with the wool wrapped mallet. Singing bowls over 9" are recorded with the large beater.

How should I care for singing bowls? Singing bowls require no care. Just keep them on the cushion to protect the bottom. They can be lightly washed and wiped with a soft cloth. Never use any abrasive cleaner that can scratch the metal. Never use metal cleaner, which can leave residue and can damage the surface. Any type of cleaning can change the color of a singing bowl by removing patina, but will not damage the metal. If you feel your singing bowl needs cleaning or would like to polish it, please contact me for instructions, including a photo of your bowl or the item number if you bought it from Himalayan Bowls. New singing bowls with color or designs should never be cleaned more than wiping with a soft cloth. The designs can be damaged with improper cleaning.

Where can I learn to play singing bowls? Please see our page Playing Instructions and watch our informative videos: Free Singing Bowl Videos