Large antique Japanese Zen Bowl on laquered stand with Pillow and laquered baton

Click for larger image

This is a Buddhist bowl used by monks in chanting. They will strike the bowl with the skin covered baton.

The skin on the Baton is possibly human skin.
Dated: sho wa ju ichi nen-The year of Showa-1936-July 28.

The stand is also dated:

The year 2590-Old Japanese year.
The current Japanese Year-sho was go nen ichi gatsu Niju yokka sei saku- Made in 1930.
The name on the base is of Mr Yusuke Kawanaka-59 years old.

The bowl is bronze. A mixture of different metals. Its an old bowl and the stand was probably made for this bowl some considerable time after the bowl was made itself.  The bowl is entirely beaten out of a solid block of amalgamated metals, laminated in the Japanese tradition like a sword and then beaten into a bowl shape. The bowl is very large. I estimate this bowl to be from the early 19th century. The tone when made to sing is astonishing with the tone rising and falling and then seemingly rising again on its own and after you take the baton away. It will  last for a very long time.

Bowl in the Svetlana Coussins collection
Images by Ruben Servi

Translation of text by Megumi Bennett

This large Bowl and stand
is £1200 / $2250
Including Freight. Visa/ Mastercard