Prince Lu (Chinese, act. 1628–44)
Qin, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 1634
China
Wood, lacquer, jade, silk strings; L. 46 5/8 in. (118.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, Seymour Fund, The Boston Foundation Gift, Gift of Elizabeth M. Riley, by exchange, and funds from various donors, 1999 (1999.93)
Curator Comment
Prince Lu, one of four well-known Ming dynasty qin makers, created this rare, graceful seven-string zither as part of a movement to revive ancient Chinese traditions. Qin playing began in the third millennium b.c., and by the Ming dynasty it had acquired a mystique that encompassed cosmology, metaphysics, civics, aesthetics, religion, and literature. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the qin appeared in the hands of the literati in paintings and drawings. On this example, cracks and worn patches in the lacquered surface, like those found on all fine qins, bestow a venerable appearance, document past players' hand movements, and permit gold flecks embedded in the lacquer to shine through. This qin is the oldest of the eleven known Prince Lu qins. The back bears the maker's seal and date, the name "Capital Peace," and a twenty-character poem by Jingyi Zhuren (d. 1670):
The moonlight is being reflected by the river Yangtze
A light breeze is blowing over clear dewdrops,
Only in a tranquil place
Can one comprehend the feeling of eternity.
J. Kenneth Moore, Frederick P. Rose Curator in Charge, Department of Musical Instruments