Guqin made by Zhang Ruixiu of Suzhou
Unknown Artist
1584
Medium
Seven-string Asian long zither, chordophone, made from wood, lacquer, mother of pearl, and silk strings
Dimensions
4.5 × 18.1 × 123.5 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr.
Accession Number
1918.371
About this artwork
China’s most prestigious instrument, the guqin can be traced to the Chu culture almost 2500 years ago. By the late Ming dynasty, Jiangnan was a center of high-end guqin production. Coated in black lacquer, this elegantly crafted instrument is inscribed on the inside, stating it was made by Zhang Ruixiu of Suzhou for Mr. Tianchi of Haiyu, also known as Yan Cheng (1547–1625). Yan was a key figure in guqin music history and founder of the Yushan school in Suzhou. Zhang Ruixiu was a guqin maker, kno...