A bowl-shaped calixresorcinarene 1 has been derivatized to incorporate four phosphonite units to give a phosphonitocavitand 2 and eight phosphinite units to give phosphinito-calixresorcinarene 3. These derivatives have been used as multidentate ligands to incorporate transition metals on the upper rim of the calixresorcinarene bowl. Several gold(I) complexes and platinum(II) complexes have been synthesized. The chlorogold(I) complex of 2, 2(AuCl)4, was characterized by an X-ray structure determination [crystal data : C84H68Au4Cl4P4O8.0.5CH(2)Cl(2).2.5CH(3)CN.H2O, fw = 2422.16, triclinic, P $($) over bar$$ 1, a = 15.271(5) Angstrom, b = 28.399(8) Angstrom, c = 11.060(5) Angstrom, alpha = 93.40(3)degrees, beta = 111.21(3)degrees, gamma = 98.41(2)degrees, V = 4390.8 Angstrom(3), Z = 2, R = 0.0534, R(w) = 0.0504]. This complex is shown to contain three AuCl units around the upper rim of the bowl with the fourth AuCl unit-folded inside the cavity. The gold(I)-rimmed bowl forms inclusion complexes with amines and alkali metal cations but not with other potential substrates.