Bridging Bowls

Bridging Bowls are similar to Lyre Bowls except in having two fans of string, one underlying the other. Tuning is the same with deeper notes in the centre, alternating outwards to the higher notes but the strings fall more easily to the hand.

Visually the crossover pattern and the contrasting peg colours give a whole new look, emphasising the work of the Sounding Bowls in healing division through opening hearts.

The first Bridging Bowl with 18 strings was made in November 2008 for a touring exhibition of museums in Europe, other sizes are possible with 10, 12, or, (as below) 16 strings. The motif of this type of Sounding Bowl could be expressed like this:

The human being is divided against himself. Indecision, self criticism, inconsistency, lack of integrity are all minor symptoms of the huge inner battle. A battle that also underlies all progress, development and creativity.

At this difficult point in Human evolution the battles and divisions in the world at large arise from playing out the inner struggles of every human soul.

When we begin to become aware of our personal chasm, our personal soul-division we begin the process of building bridges between our disparate longings. Ultimately these bridges enable us to become fully human.

These bridges are our gift to the world.

In a Bridging Bowl the two sets of strings show two sides working together. Both the light side and the dark side are needed to complete the scale, to make music. Strings played on the light side have their roots in the dark side. And those played in the dark are rooted in the light. Harmony arises through playing both sets.