Prince Lu (Chinese, active 1628–44)
China
Wood, lacquer, and silk string; L. 46 5/8 in. (118.5 cm)
Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, Bequest of Dorothy Graham Bennett, The Boston Foundation Gift, and Gift of Elizabeth M. Riley, by exchange, 1999 (1999.93)
Endowed with cosmological and metaphysical significance and empowered to communicate the deepest feelings, this zither, beloved of sages and of Confucius, is the most prestigious instrument in China. Han-dynasty writers state that the qin helped to cultivate character, understand morality, supplicate gods and demons, enhance life, and enrich learning. Ming-dynasty (1368–1644) literati who claimed the right to play the qin suggested that it be played outdoors in a mountain setting, a garden, a small pavillion, or near an old pine tree (symbol of longevity) while burning incense to perfume the air. A serene moonlit night was considered an appropriate time for performance. Each part of the instrument is identified by an anthropomorphic or zoomorphic name and cosmology is ever present: for example, the upper board of wutong wood symbolizes heaven, the bottom board of zi wood symbolizes earth. Qins over a hundred years old are considered best, the age determined by the pattern of cracks in the lacquer. The thirteen studs (hui) indicate finger positions. Strings of varying thicknesses are made of twisted silk. On the back of this qin is a twenty-two-character poem that reads:
The moonlight is being reflected by the river Yangzi,
A light breeze is blowing over clear dewdrops,
Only in a tranquil place
Can one comprehend the feeling of eternity.
[signed] Jingyi Zhuren
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