Goqing
Carefully incised veins suggest a downwardly curving lotus leaf of dark nephrite jade. The goqing once sounded to announce the arrival and rank of a guest or to denote the length of a pause following the completion of a musical piece. The great importance of sonorous substances, such as wood and stones, among the percussion instruments of the Far East stems from the religious belief that nature itself speaks to the human ear through this vibrating matter.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
