1800s
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Painting only: 23.5 x 23.8 cm (9 1/4 x 9 3/8 in.); Overall: 26.5 x 26.5 cm (10 7/16 x 10 7/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1990.69
The Korean zither with six strings, depicted in this painting, was often played by men.
The painting invites viewers to an intimate qin, or zither, recital in the cool breezy night under the moon. The musician at the center gently strums the strings, while his servant boy is drowsing, without realizing the tea pot is steaming. In older times, playing a musical instrument was considered an effective way to cultivate one's spiritual and mental balance.
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