Orin

Singin bowl by Futakataya

The art of "Sahari" which is an alloy of tin, bronze have been imported to Japan from the continent about 1300 years ago. These articles made using "Sahari" were mostly used as dishes at that time.

Starting from Edo period (1603-1868) Buddhist altars (so called "Butsudan") became common in almost every household in Japan. Every "butsudan" included a singing bowl - "Orin". It was believed that by making the orin chime one can communicate with Budha and "Stop the evil, purify the place and banish the demons". Therefore orin became an essential household attribute.

"Sahari" stands for an alloy of bronze and tin, but only alloys with very high ratio of tin is considered true "Sahari", created by a technique known since 1843. Only one item can be created of a single mold and 180 different techniques are involved, that make manufacturing of "Sahari" a time consuming and tedious process.

Everything is important and needs to be taken into account: soil, condition of the metal, the ratio of mixture of the metals, temperature of the mixture when removed from the furnace, season, weather, humidity - one step done wrong - and there will be no chanting sound. The craftsmen continuously compete with time and make tremendous efforts to control the heat while handling the casting process with ultimate delicacy.

The whole process of casting is done manually by hand to create a unique "orin", - each one with its own original sound.

Craftsman's works

The tradition transferred through generations brings us the authentic sound that is able to calm down the heart and heal the soul.

The sound of Futakataya orin cheers up and provides encouragement, freshens the aura and releases the strains of your mind.

The sound of orin becomes even better as time passes by. We hope the sound of orin will become a family tradition and will be used for many years to come.

Lineup

Kyo no ne” series with a distinctive tone that has been nurtured in Kyoto

At Futakataya we produce all various sizes of orin - from normal size, one that can be put in a Budhist altar at home to small sizes that one can bring along wherever he goes.

Since ancient times the sound of orin is believed to banish the evil. “Kyo no ne” series is produced to be used at home. All the orins are handmade using traditional techniques developed and descended directly from one craftsman to another through generations.

Available sizes are 6.5cm/7.5cm/9cm/10.5cm/12cm/13.5cm/15cm

Daichi
Ginga
Luna
Sol
Kyo
Sora
Shinkai

A small orin that fits easily on your palm ——My Corin

You can put it in your living room to enjoy the sound with your family or use it in your private space just for yourself.
Whenever you go, a journey or a business trip, you can rely on orin sound to calm you down when your soul needs rest. My Corin come with a drawstring purse, with a fastener pouch or with a bamboo stand, so that you can take and use it wherever you like.

Available sizes are 5.5cm/4.5cm/4.2cm

Hana
Kira / Chirimen
Chikuza
Pocket
Petit
Piccorin
Ginga / Luna
Order / Others

Handling instructions

How to use
Firmly hit the orin with a "rinbou" - a wooden stick that comes with orin from the outside verge.
You can touch on the top to stop the sound. Feel free to experiment to find your own way of hitting the orin.
Care and attention

Orin is made of delicate metal. Please be careful not to drop it or expose it to significant impact, or it can be damaged. Even a small crack can prevent orin from producing a sound.
As time passes, some change of color will be seen. We recommend to use gloves when touching orin so that you can observe the process of tarnishing as time goes by. Clean the orin with soft dry cloth. Do not use any products or detergents.