The ''shang'' () is a

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

an ritual upturned flat

handbell A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle – traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic – and moves the arm to make the hinged cla ...

employed by

Bon ''Bon'', also spelled Bön () and also known as Yungdrung Bon (, "eternal Bon"), is a Tibetan religious tradition with many similarities to Tibetan Buddhism and also many unique features.Samuel 2012, pp. 220-221. Bon initially developed in t ...

pos and

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

Description

Shang range in size from approximately three to 20 inches in diameter. They are traditionally believed to originate in

Zhangzhung Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient culture and kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, which pre-dates the culture of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet. Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philosophies ...

and are symbolically similar to the ''dril bu'' or

ghanta Ghanta (Sanskrit: घण्टा, IAST: ghaṇṭā; Tibetan: drilbu) is the Sanskrit term for a ritual bell used in Hinduistic religious practices. The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious sound. Hindu temples genera ...

. Shang are traditionally

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

and made of sophisticated metallic

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...

Use

A shang consists of three principal parts: the flat bell part proper; the

gankyil The Gankyil (, Lhasa ) or "wheel of joy" ( sa, ānanda-cakra) is a symbol and ritual tool used in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism. It is composed of three (sometimes two or four) swirling and interconnected blades. The traditional spinning direc ...

, which is the centre piece that holds the knocker; and the knocker or striker proper, which is often made of animal horn. The shang was believed to be useful in receiving information from the Eastern concept of æther, to induce trance or call spirits. The shang is often used in rites in conjunction with the

phurba The ''phurba'' (; alternate transliterations: ''phurpa'', ''phurbu'', ''purbha'', or ''phurpu'') or ''kīla'' (Sanskrit Devanagari: कील; IAST: kīla) is a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail-like ritual implement traditionally associat ...

and

namkha Namkha (Tibetan: ནམ་མཁའ་ ''nam mkha' '' " sky", "space", " aether"," heaven"), also known as ''Dö''; (Tibetan ''mdos'' (མདོས) ) is a form of yarn or thread cross composed traditionally of wool or silk and is a form of the E ...

References

*{{cite book, last1=Jansen, first1=Eva Rudy, title=Singing bowls : a practical handbook of instruction and use, date=1995, publisher=Binkey Kok Publications, location=Diever, Holland, isbn=90-74597-01-7 Bells (percussion) Tibetan musical instruments