An aged zither with mottled dark lacquer lies on a low wooden table beside a folded patterned silk cloth, with a tiny reader in a far hall; at the left a bamboo stand holds blue and green silk cases, beside a tea tray on a mat and a vase of narcissus.
Surviving Qins
Qins from past ages that survive today, and the records that describe them
Introduction
Nearly twenty qins made in the Tang dynasty survive today. The qin Jiuxiao Huanpei is traditionally attributed to the Lei family workshop of the High Tang. It is kept in the Palace Museum in Beijing, is 124 cm long, and has a ground of deer-antler ash. Its name is carved in seal script on the back, above the Dragon Pool opening. A ten-string qin 67 cm long, covered all over in black lacquer, was found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, which dates from 433 BC or somewhat later.