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). The early pipa was held horizontally like a guitar and played with a large plectrum; however, during the Ming dynasty, the pipa would have been held upright and its silk strings would have been plucked with the fingernails.

The back of this instrument is decorated with a pattern of 110 relief-carved ivory hexagons. Each hexagon contains a symbol of good luck, longevity, and immortality, including immortal beings, fruits, trees, flowers, animals, and people. All of the symbols relate to the great religions of China: Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The beehive pattern is continued up the neck of the instrument, with images scratched into the ivory. The four wooden pegs are carved in deep swirls, and the pegbox is topped by a large bat, symbol of good fortune. The instrument probably was made as a gift for nobility, possibly for a wedding.

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