Pipa (琵琶 )

Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

The term pipa has been known since the third century b.c. It originally described the playing motion of the right hand: pi, "to play forward" (left), and pa, "to play backward" (right). Since the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the pipa has been used in operatic and narrative-singing ensembles and has a solo repertoire of highly programmatic, virtuosic music.

#Demonstration of a modern pipa by Wu Man, 2016. "White Snow in Spring."

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Pipa (琵琶 ), Wood, ivory, lacquer, Chinese

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