The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 25, 2022

Guqin

古琴

1600s

China, Ming dynasty

(1368–1644)

Wood, horn, silk, mother-of-pearl

Overall: 4.5 x 18.1 x 123.5 cm (1 3/4 x 7 1/8 x 48 5/8 in.)

The Charles G. King, Jr. Collection. Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King, Jr. 1918.371

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

The 13 studs in mother-of-pearl inlay indicate finger positions for sounding harmonics.

Description

Empowered to communicate profound feelings, the guqin-zither, beloved of sages and the philosopher Confucius, is the most prestigious instrument in China. Han dynasty (202 BC–220 AD) writers claim that the guqin helped cultivate character, understand morality, enhance life, and enrich learning. In paintings, Chinese literati are typically playing the instrument in a landscape setting, as the sound of the guqin symbolizes harmony between man and nature. Guqins more than 100 years old are considered best. Strings of varying thicknesses are made of twisted silk.

Provenance
?–1918
Ralph King [1855–1926], Cleveland Heights, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1918–
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
"Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 5, no. 8/9 (1918): 82-85. Mentioned: p. 82 www.jstor.org
D. S. M. "Exhibition of Musical Instruments." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 8, no. 9 (1921): 134-43. Mentioned: pp. 134-137 www.jstor.org
Peng, Wei 彭薇, and Clarissa von Spee. Migrations of Memory: The Poetry and Power of Music by Chinese Artist Peng Wei in Collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Art = 平沙落雁—音樂的詩意與力量: 中國藝術家彭薇與克利夫蘭藝術博物館合作. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2021. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 13
Exhibition history

Migrations of Memory––The Poetry and Power of Music (平沙落雁 — 音樂的詩意與力量) (Chinese art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 19, 2021-May 8, 2022).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1918.371