Tibetan Shang ceremony bell

The shang (or sil nyen), a flat bell, is a traditional ritual object used in the Tibetan Bon and Buddhist traditions, especially by Chöd practitioners.

The bell is made of a special bronze alloy and has three main components: the flat bell body, the gankyil as the centerpiece for attaching the clapper and the clapper made of animal horn. It is held by a brocade ribbon decorated with tassels and beads.

The shang is used to summon spirits. In rituals that also involve the damaru (hand drum), the shang is held in the left hand. If it is used on its own, it is held in the right hand, with the front always facing upwards - whether in use or at rest.

The sound of the shang is usually complemented by the damaru (drum) and the kangling (a trumpet made from thigh bones).

Diameter: 15 cm, height: 3 cm.