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Guqin made by Zhang Ruixiu of Suzhou
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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, known for achieving a supreme tone quality. Ten instruments attributed to him are known, of which this guqin has the earliest date.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineGuqin made by Zhang Ruixiu of Suzhou (古琴), 1584. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Seven-string Asian long zither, chordophone, made from wood, lacquer, mother of pearl, and silk strings; overall: 4.5 x 18.1 x 123.5 cm (1 3/4 x 7 1/8 x 48 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr., 1918.371
