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History of the Qin Zither
History of the Qin Zither

History of the Qin Zither

Artist (Chinese, active 1340 - 1360)
Dateapprox. 1870-1910
DynastyQing dynasty (1644-1911)
MaterialsCollotype, ink on paper
DimensionsH. 9 7/8 in x W. 6 3/4 in, H. 25.1 cm x w. 17.1 cm (each page)
Credit LineGift of the Yeh Family
Object number2015.63.1-.4
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsBooks And Manuscripts
On View
Not on view
Signed宋 朱文伯《琴史》
Inscribed1. The preface, by the author Zhu Wenbo, claimed that there were many books by elites on painting and calligraphy, but none on the qin zither. Therefore, he compiled the History of the Zither to encourage a revival of the classical music as it was performed at ritual ceremonies during the Bronze Age, which corresponds to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. 2. The first colophon, by Zhengda in 1233, acknowledges his great-grandfather, Lord Lepu, for his intellectual spirit and erudite and serious attitude towards learning histories, all of which inspired Zhengda. Zhengda sorted out Lepu’s collection of books and put together Zhu Wenbo’s six-volume A History of the Qin Zither engraving them into new woodblocks. Zhengda spoke highly of Zhu Wenbo for integrating classics, historical figures, and knowledge of music into this encyclopedia, proving it must have been the fruit of many years of the scholar’s painstaking efforts. 3. The second colophon, by Yu He, acknowledges that he hand-traced the entire book in 1357.