Chinese Singing Fountain Bowl

Invented in China, possibly two and a half thousand years ago, the strange device known variously as a 'Chinese Fish Basin' or 'Spouting Bowl' is a heavy copper/bronze vessel, with two carrying handles welded on the top rim.

When filled with water and placed on a wet towel or on grass, the bowl can be made to perform by rhythmically rubbing the two handles with wetted palms of the hand. A deep resonant note grows from the hand action on the handles, and then an extraordinary thing happens.

At four points around the rim, the water surface begins to ripple, first lightly, then vigorously. Soon water drops shoot up from these areas of disturbance, quickly becoming continuous streams, like tiny fountain jets. The mixture of water droplets and jets grows and diminishes with each rub of the handle. At a maximum, the spouts are supposed to reach 3 feet above the water surface. As beginners, we can only manage a few inches! The bowls are normally cast with a design of four fish inside, tails towards the centre of the bowl, mouths pointing towards the rim. Somehow the bowl is cast so that the four spouts emanate from the mouths of the fish.

The vibrations set up in the bowl by rubbing the handles are believed to generate the precise frequencies needed to produce standing waves - the spouts of water rise from these waves.

Видео Chinese Singing Fountain Bowl канала Grand Illusions