This listing includes a traditional Chinese gong mallet.

This unique gong was made with sound healing and therapy in mind here at Gongs Unlimited using one of our 28" Mother Tesla gongs. We treated this gong over the course of several days to create a patina layer by layer, which gives the gong a beautiful green hue. It also features a custom engraving of the Hawaiian Honu, with the labyrinth-like Shou symbol on its shell. The word honu in Hawaiian culture represents the majestic green sea turtle, a symbol of good luck, longevity, and peace. The Shou is an ancient Chinese symbol that also signifies longevity and good fortune. The combination of sound and vision can allow for great spiritual healing and sound therapy.

According to ancient traditions around the world, spanning different cultures, belief systems, and eras, a celestial turtle bears the weight of our world on the expanse of its immense shell. 

In some Hindu traditions the turtle is known as Akūpāra, a Sanskrit word that can also mean boundless or unlimited. The turtle also appears in Chinese mythology, where it is known as Ao. Similar stories can be seen in the folklore of Southern African peoples such as the Zulu, as well as in the traditions of many indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada. 

As well, the honu holds great importance in Hawaiian culture, often featured in stories and ancient artwork. These sea turtles can act as manifestations of aumākua, personal gods and ancestral spirits that take the form of animals to watch over and guide families, warn of danger, and pass on prayers from the living to the gods. 

In a modern view, the turtle is thought to be representative of infinite regress, a concept that can be used to emphasize the metaphysical ineffability of our reality, and the beauty in the labyrinthine nature of things too large for us to understand. 

A Western traveler encountering an Eastern philosopher asks him to describe the nature of the world: "It is a great ball resting on the flat back of the world turtle." "Ah yes, but what does the world turtle stand on?" "On the back of a still larger turtle." "Yes, but what does he stand on?" "A very perceptive question. But it’s no use, mister; it’s turtles all the way down."

-Carl Sagan, Gott and the Turtles (1974)

Item Specifications:
Diameter: 27.5"
Weight: 19lbs 3oz
Rim Height: 1.5"
Rim Thickness: 3mm