Vintage Japanese orin singing bowl hand-hammered tsuchime bronze on red and gold brocade zabuton cushion with wooden striker, kokeshi and kakejiku scroll in background, Shōwa period Japan

Vintage Japanese orin singing bowl set of tsuchime hand-hammered bronze, Shōwa period

Name: Vintage Japanese orin singing bowl bronze Showa | KAIKO&CO
Brand: KAIKO&CO
Price: 410.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€410.00

The weight is the first thing you notice. At 611 grams, this bronze orin sits solidly in the hand, dense and grounded. Strike the rim and the sound opens in layers: a clear initial tone that deepens as it spreads, sustained long enough to follow from a single breath to the next. This is what solid bronze does that cheaper alloys cannot match.

This is a Showa-period orin, ca. 40-60 years old, hand-hammered and sourced in the Nagano region of Japan.

It was cast from bronze and shaped by hand using the tsuchime (槌目) technique: each hammer mark was struck individually, shaping the wall of the bowl and influencing its resonance at the same time. The sound of a vintage orin deepens with age as the metal settles; this bowl has had decades to find its tone.

Comes with a brand-new professional striker and a luxury brocade cushion for optimal resonance.

This is a Showa-period orin, ca. 40-60 years old, hand-hammered and sourced in the Nagano region of Japan.

What makes this orin special

The look and feel up close

The exterior carries a deep, uneven patina in dark brown-black, built up evenly over decades of aging.

This bowl was cast from bronze and shaped by hand: the visible hammer marks across its surface are a direct record of the making. Where the bronze has been polished at those indentations, the warm golden colour of the alloy shows through the deep dark patina, a contrast that gives this bowl its particular, quiet visual character.

The form is a classic wide-rimmed bowl with a gently curving profile. In the hand, the weight is even and the bronze feels dense and smooth, except at those hammered points where the surface barely rises. On its cushion, the bowl sits with a low, settled presence.

Charming details

Each indentation on this bowl was made deliberately: the maker struck the hot bronze, shaping the wall and simultaneously influencing the resonance of the finished piece. When the surface was polished afterward, those marks became the visual record of the making, small golden catch-lights in a dark surface. They are not decorative. They are the work itself, made visible. Run a finger across the exterior and you feel exactly where the hammer touched.

- The surface finish is tsuchime (槌目), a traditional Japanese hand-hammering technique in which each indentation is struck individually. No two bowls made this way are identical.
- These Showa era household singing bowls were made by metalworking workshops across Japan and distributed through Buddhist goods retailers for use at home altars (butsudan).
- Sourced in the Nagano region, Japan.
- Shōwa period, ca. 1965-1985, approximately 40-60 years old, based on style, patina and wear.
Bowl only:
- Diameter: approx. 14 cm
- Height: approx. 10 cm
- Weight: approx. 611 g
- Excellent vintage condition. No dents, cracks, or repairs.
- Minor surface wear consistent with careful age.
- The tone is clear with a long, even sustain: both signs of an undamaged bowl.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth only.
- Avoid cleaning products, polishing compounds, or anything damp: they damage the patina and can affect the sound over time.
- Place the bowl on its cushion rather than directly on a hard surface: the cushion allows the bronze to vibrate freely and the sound to carry fully.
- Bronze changes colour naturally with age and handling; this is expected and part of what makes a vintage orin what it is.
- Handle with care and avoid dropping: even a hairline crack, invisible to the eye, permanently silences the resonance.