Hall Singing Bowl

Photographs of the entrance hall taken in the 1930s show a large hammered bronze bowl on the round table. We don’t know when the Eustis’s bowl was first brought to the house but a similar one was in use as early as 1893 at the 1887 Glessner House in Chicago. Known as “singing bowls,” these are inverted bells that can be struck lightly to create a reverberating gong or rubbed with the wooden end of the mallet along the perimeter of the rim to create a higher pitched “singing” tone.  These are used in Japan, Tibet, Nepal, and China as part of Buddhist ceremonies, signaling the beginning and end of periods of silent mediation. This one is a modern example that came from Hong Kong. Feel free to try it yourself.  Just remember to use a light touch!