Artwork Page for Koto (Zither)

Details / Information for Koto (Zither)

Koto (Zither)

箏

early to mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
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Medium
Wood with colored lacquer, sprinkled gold powder (maki-e), textile, and silk strings
Measurements
Overall: 117.8 cm (46 3/8 in.); Widest end: 23.8 cm (9 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr. 1918.359
Public Domain
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Location
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Did You Know?

The koto descended from the guzheng, a Chinese zither first imported to Japan in the seventh century.

Description

This koto has an elaborately decorated surface, suggesting that it was meant to be admired as a decorative object rather than played as a musical instrument. The vertical design shows a profusion of chrysanthemum flowers and miscanthus grass above a brushwood fence as well as a pair of butterflies.

Koto (Zither)

early to mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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