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Wanhe Songfeng Qin (Wanhe Songfeng (seven-stringed zither-like instrument))

Two strings are missing. Made of Chinese paulownia wood. The body of the qin is painted with reddish black colour. The underlayer black lacquer paint can be seen in some places. There are cracks (duanwen) on the qin. The forehead of the qin is straight and the neck is slightly curved. The shoulders of the qin start from between the 2nd and 3rd circular inlays (hui). Between the 7th and 10th hui is the waist of the qin, which is curved slightly inwards. The tail of the qin, known as “burnt tail”(jiaowei), has rounded corners. The surface board is curved slightly. It has seven strings and thirteen mother-of-pearl inlays. The tuning pegs and legs (or feet) on the back of the qin are made of jade. The two sound holes (the “dragon pool” and “phoenix pond”) are rectangular shaped.

  • Culture:
  • Period:
  • Materials:Chinese paulownia wood
  • Specific materials/techniques:
  • Decorative elements:
  • Inscriptions:The four characters “Wan He Song Feng” are engraved above the large sound hole (Longchi or dragon pool).|A poetic inscription written in eight columns describing how the owner first encountered this qin is carved on either side of the large sound hole (or the dragon pool). It is signed and dated by Yang Zongji.|Another poetic inscription written in ten columns is carved below the large sound hole. It is signed and dated by Lei Yu (the owner’s friend).|A poem about this qin is engraved below the small sound hole. It is then signed and dated with a square seal.|The six characters [meaning “Zhao Zi’ang family collection”] are carved inside the bottom board under the large sound hole.
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:314.122 True board zithers with resonator box (box zither)
  • Repository:Hunan Museum
  • Measurements:Total length: 117.0cm, width of the forehead: 17.5cm, width of the shoulders: 18.5cm, width of the tail: 13.5cm, thickness: 10.0cm