Artwork Page for Erxian (Two-Stringed Chinese Fiddle)

Details / Information for Erxian (Two-Stringed Chinese Fiddle)

Erxian (Two-Stringed Chinese Fiddle)

二弦

1800s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911)
Medium
wood
Measurements
Diameter: 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.); Overall: 43.2 cm (17 in.)
Credit Line
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr. 1918.351
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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A slender, dark brown wood musical instrument rises from a cylindrical resonator. Two bulbous wooden pegs protrude from the neck, anchoring thin strings that descend to a face of yellow and brown mottled skin. Above the pegs, a recessed rectangle reveals tiny, carved characters. The polished, deep red wood transitions from the smooth, straight neck to the textured, hexagonal scales of the snakeskin base.

Erxian (Two-Stringed Chinese Fiddle)

1800s

China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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