Makers › Master Craftsmen
Zhu Zhiyuan
Qin maker of the Yuan–Ming transition whose instruments, signed made by Zhu Zhiyuan of Chicheng, are named by Ming connoisseurs such as Gao Lian and Wen Zhenheng
A craft workshop centres on a potter's wheel holding a tall celadon vase, amid racks of red lacquer boxes, an embroidery frame with a floral design, shelves of celadon ware, carved wooden panels and stacked logs, while one craftsman works at a table and another stands at a glowing kiln.
Also known as Zhu Zhiyuan of Chicheng
- Roles
- Master Craftsmen
Nothing is recorded of Zhu Zhiyuan's life beyond his work as a qin maker. Gao Lian's Zunsheng bajian and Zhang Yingwen's Qingmi cang call him a man of the Ming, while Wen Zhenheng's Zhangwu zhi places him in the Yuan, so he is usually dated to the turn of the two dynasties; Ming collectors ranked his instruments among the notable qin. The Palace Museum holds a Zhongni-style qin from the Qing palace collection, of paulownia with black lacquer and gold studs, signed inside made by Zhu Zhiyuan of Chicheng.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; active at the turn of the Yuan and Ming