"Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China" @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Seated Musician, Tang dynasty (618–906), China. Marble. H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm), W. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm), D. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2006 (2006.156)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present an exhibition celebrating the musical heritage of China – one of the oldest continuously documented traditions with roots reaching back more than 8,000 years – beginning September 5. Featuring some 60 objects and illustrations – drawn largely from the Museum's collections of Asian art and musical instruments – Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China will reveal the dynamic interplay of cultures, the continuity of musical practice, and the diversity of China's musical traditions from the fifth century B.C. to the present.

This exhibition will display a wide variety of Chinese musical instruments and art, including a rare ivory-covered pipa (lute) and a lacquered qin (zither) of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), extraordinary bells of the fifth century B.C., and a set of pottery figures in the shapes of dancers and musicians from the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and Tang dynasty (618-907).

The exhibition is made possible in part by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.

Silk and Bamboo will complement the China Festival (October 21-November 10, 2009) offered by Carnegie Hall.

Nao (bell), Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 b.c.) China. Bronze. H. 6 1/16 in. (15.4 cm), W. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm), D. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) Gift of Mrs. John Marriott, Mrs. John Barry Ryan, Gilbert W. Kahn, Roger Wolfe Kahn (children of Addie W. Kahn), 1949 (49.136.10)

Nao were typically arranged in sets of three or five. Played with the mouth facing upward, smaller examples could be held in the hand while larger ones, known as yong, required a frame support. Shang-dynasty instruments such as this nao were frequently decorated with the taotie motif—a symmetrical design representing the flattened face, or "split representation," of a mythological animal.

Zhong (bell), Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (5th–3rd century b.c.) China. Bronze. H. 24 in. (61 cm), W. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm) John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913 (13.220.86)

Longer and narrower than the nao, with an upper section decorated with protruding nipples grouped in four sections of nine, the zhong first appeared during the Zhou dynasty. Like the nao, the zhong is found in odd-numbered sets of bells of graduated size and pitch. Struck with a long-stemmed T-shaped beater, the bells have excellent musical qualities, such as a clear sound that decays rapidly and a defined and focused pitch. The melodies made by zhong accompanied ritual and entertainment.

Se player, Han dynasty (206 b.c.–220 a.d.), 1st century b.c.–1st century a.d., China. Pottery. H. 6 in. (15.2 cm) Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994 (1994.605.85a–c)

Long zithers (instruments with string attached to both ends of a hollow wood body) of various types were developed in East Asia, and during their long history, many—notably the qin and the se, which were often paired—changed their shapes while retaining their names. The instrument depicted here is either a proto-se or a stylized rendition of the actual instrument, likely of the type found in archaeological site of the Warring States period (5th–3rd century B.C.). Unlike the se shown here, the typical example had large tuning pegs at only one end and probably more than four strings.

Xun (ovoid ocarina), Han dynasty (206 b.c.–220 a.d.) China. Pottery. Overall W. 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm), D. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm), L. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm) Gift of Joseph G. Gerena, 2005 (2005.14)

Simple globular clay whistles, or ocarinas, were among the earliest wind instruments that required an understanding of how pitch is determined by the relationship between the dimensions of the wind chamber and the placement of the fingerholes. Ancient versions such as this one have fingerholes on one side of the ovoid body. Later versions, still used in Sino-derived Korean ritual music, have holes located at the cardinal points around instruments that are onion-shaped.

Seated Female Musicians, Tang dynasty (618–906), late 7th century. China. Pottery. H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm), H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm), H. 6 in. (15.2 cm); H. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm) Rogers Fund, 1923 (23.180.4–7)

Ensembles featuring female musicians often served as a musical bridge between elite and popular culture. As expert musicians, they were often musical innovators. Here, a small ensemble is shown clapping and playing the pipa, tongbo (small copper cymbals), and konghou (harp). The pipa is played in its original position, like an Arabic lute; its silk strings are plucked with a triangular plectrum. The construction and playing style resemble those of the biwa, a Japanese lute derived from the pipa. Today, the biwa maintains the use of a triangular plectrum, the West Asian plectrum guard, and the C-shaped sound holes seen on the instrument played by the musician here. The Chinese playing style changed during the chaotic Later Tang period (921–36), when the plectrum was discarded. The angular konghou harp, introduced at the end of the Han dynasty, was in decline at this time and had gone completely out of use by the end of the Tang.

The highest-rated musicians at the Tang court performed seated, while the lower ranks played standing and were also treated less well in other respects.

Set of ten belt plaques, Tang dynasty (618–906), 7th–8th century. China. Jade. Each square piece 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. (5.7 x 5.7 cm), end piece 2 1/4 x 4 3/8 in. (5.7 x 11.1 cm) Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1992 (1992.165.22a–j)

The musicians from Central Asia depicted on these belt plaques illustrate the mix of musical cultures that marked the international commerce conducted along the Silk Road and the Tang dynasty's official recognition of ten kinds of music, including those played by ensembles from Samarkand, Bokhara, Kashgar, Kucha, Turfan, India, Korea, and the indigenous Han Chinese community. During this period, under the guidance of Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712–55), the government supported and encouraged music, art, and literature. The belt shows indigenous Chinese instruments such as the sheng (mouth organ), flute, and paiban (clapper) along with Indian-influenced drums and the Western-derived pipa, an instrument that enjoyed unprecedented popularity at this time.

Left to right: paixiao (panpipe), yaogu (hourglass drum), sheng (mouth organ), drinking cup, paiban (clapper), pipa (lute), barrel drum, vertical flute, cylindrical drum, dancer.

Paiban (half of a clapper), Ming dynasty (1368–1644), early 15th century. China. Ivory, traces of pigment. W. 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm), L. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm), D. 1/4 in. (0.7 cm) Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2003 (2003.166)

In continuous use since the Tang dynasty, the paiban usually comprises two to six slabs of wood strung together at one end with a cord. It is held vertically and clapped to keep time. Here, a beautifully decorated single length of ivory preserves traces of its original red pigment. Red-colored ivory clappers are known in literature of the Northern Song dynasty (11th century).

Pipa, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), late 15th–early 16th century. China. Wood, ivory, bone, silk. L. 37 in. (94 cm), W. 9 15/16 in. (25.3 cm), D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950 (50.145.74)

The pear-shaped lute slowly migrated from Central Asia into China during the Han and Sui dynasties (1st–7th century). It eventually became the pipa; the term describes the original playing motion of the plectrum held in the performer's right hand: p'i, "to play forward" (toward the left), and p'a, "to play backward" (toward the right). Until the mid-tenth century, the pipa was held horizontally (guitar style), and its twisted silk strings were plucked with a large triangular plectrum. Toward the end of the Tang dynasty, musicians began using their fingernails to execute the exuberant and programmatic repertory that was gaining popularity and that became the national style. To facilitate the use of the fingers, the instrument began to be held in a more upright position. In addition to its use in the opera and in storytelling ensembles, the pipa has a solo repertory of highly programmatic, virtuosic music.

The spectacular back and sides of this unique Ming-dynasty instrument feature more than 110 hexagonal ivory plaques, with thinner bone plaques on the neck. Each plaque is carved with Daoist, Confucian, or Buddhist figures and symbols signifying prosperity, happiness, and good luck. These include images of various gods and immortals, such as Shou Lao, the Daoist god of longevity, who is shown with a more prominent forehead on the single plaque at the very top. When the instrument is played, this expert workmanship remains unseen by the listener, as the back faces the player. The front is relatively plain but shows signs of use. The ivory string holder bears a scene featuring four figures and a bridge; an archaic cursive inscription; and, at the lip, a bat motif with leafy tendrils. Above the lower frets, two small insets depict a spider and a bird, and just before the rounded upper frets, a trapezoidal plaque portrays two men, one with a fish. The finial repeats the bat (good luck) motif.

Lady Su Hui and Her Verse Puzzle, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 16th century. China. Handscroll; ink and color on silk. 10 1/16 x 122 3/4 in. (25.6 x 311.8 cm) Gift of George D. Pratt, 1933 (33.167)

There are several versions of the story of Suhui, her separation from her lord Doutao, one-time governor of Qinzhou under Fujian (r. 357–84) of the Qin, and her happy reunion with him through the intercession of her famous poem. The most widely circulated version had its origin in a preface to the Xuan Jitu by Empress Wu Zedian (625–705) of the Tang dynasty, and was popularized in modern times in the novel Jing Huayuan (1828). According to this version, Suhui quarreled with her husband over his favorite concubine, Zhao Yangtai, whom he maintained in a separate establishment. When she discovered his secret, Suhui "raided" Zhao's quarters and abused the hapless concubine with both words and blows. Later, when Doutao was appointed governor of Xiangyang, he made an attempt at reconciliation, but the headstrong Suhui spurned his advances and refused to accompany him to his new post, whereupon the husband departed with his concubine.

It was then that Suhui composed and wove in five colors her poem of 840 characters (or 841 according to a recent edition of the Zhong Huayuan), so arranged that it can be read forward or backward and in a number of other ways. This she sent to Doutao, who was as much impressed by the feat as he was touched by the vague, plaintive sentiments. He sent away his concubine and welcomed the poetess to his Xiangyang household. The Jinshu (History of the Qin Dynasty), however, does not depict Suhui as a jealous wife; rather, it records that she wrote the poem while her husband was living in exile on the frontier.

The painting opens with the weaving scene. Suhui is shown seated at the loom with a wistful expression on her face; in front, carrying a tray of tea things, is a maid who stops to play with a pet dog. In the next scene we find the lady dispatching her emissary, with a number of attendants in her train carrying parcels, one of which, we fancy, must contain the woven poem. The third scene shows Doutao reading the poem, with Zhao Yangtai seated by his side, while a group of female musicians play various instruments. The last scene, in which we see the couple united, has been treated at greater length than others and with greater success in the depiction of character and emotion, especially in the case of the lady and her immediate attendants.

This scene appears in a later copy of a Tang-dynasty painting. The dating of the original painting is supported by the types of instruments depicted in it. Both the harp (konghou) and the pipa played with a plectrum disappeared after the Tang.

Front row, left to right: qin, pipa, pipa (played without plectrum), paiban. Back row, left to right: dizi, xiao, sheng, konghou.

Qin, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 1634. China. Wood, lacquer, jade, silk strings. Overall 10 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 46 5/8 in. (26.7 x 10.8 x 118.4 cm) Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, Seymour Fund, The Boston Foundation Gift, Gift of Elizabeth M. Riley, by exchange, and funds from various donors, 1991 (1999.93)

Many Ming-dynasty princes, starting with the sons of the founder and continuing until the last generation before the dynasty's fall in the mid-seventeenth century, were accomplished musicians, and some made important contributions to musicology and musical theory. The first prince of Lu (1568–1614), brother of Emperor Shenzhong (Wanli), was an immensely rich man, and hundreds of qin were made for his household and descendants in the last years of the Ming dynasty. All bear the inscription of the Princedom of Lu, and all are numbered. About ten Prince Lu qin are extant; the one in the Metropolitan Museum, number 18, dated 1634, is the earliest. The highest-numbered Prince Lu qin known is number 295. It is dated 1644, the year the Ming dynasty came to an end.

The back of the Museum's qin bears the maker's seal and date, the words "Capital Peace," and a twenty-character poem by Jingyi Zhuren (d. 1670) that reads:

The moonlight is being reflected by the river Yangzi
A light breeze is blowing over clear dewdrops,
Only in a tranquil place
Can one comprehend the feeling of eternity.

Endowed with cosmological and metaphysical significance and empowered to communicate the deepest feelings, the qin, beloved of sages and of Confucius, is the most prestigious instrument in China. Han-dynasty writers state that the qin helped to cultivate character, understand morality, supplicate gods and demons, enhance life, and enrich learning. Ming-dynasty literati who claimed the right to play the qin suggested that it be played outdoors in a mountain setting, a garden, a small pavillion, or near an old pine tree (symbol of longevity) while burning incense to perfume the air. A serene moonlit night was considered an appropriate time for performance. Each part of the instrument is identified by an anthropomorphic or zoomorphic name and cosmology is ever present: for example, the upper board of wutong wood symbolizes heaven, the bottom board of zi wood symbolizes earth. Qins over a hundred years old are considered best, the age determined by the pattern of cracks in the lacquer. The thirteen studs (hui) indicate finger positions. Strings of varying thicknesses are made of twisted silk.

Qing (chime) for linzhong (eighth note in the twelve-note scale), Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662–1722), dated 1716. China. Jade with incised gilded design. H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm), W. 20 in. (50.8 cm), D. 1 in. (2.5 cm) Gift of Major Louis Livingston Seaman, 1903 (03.15.1)

The manufacture of sonorous stones for decoration or music from carved or cut jade may be traced to the end of the late Eastern Zhou period (ca. 771–221 B.C.) and followed in a tradition of L-shaped stone chimes known from about 1700 B.C. The great importance of sonorous substances such as wood and stone among the percussion instruments of East Asia stems from the religious belief that, through this vibrating matter, nature itself speaks to the human ear. Highly polished slabs were decorated with tiger, lion, or dragon motifs.

Qing (musical stone) with theme of the Hundred Antiques, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736–95). China. Jade. H. 13 7/16 in. (34.2 cm), W. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm), D. 1 15/16 in. (5 cm) Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902 (02.18.644)

The association of bells and stone chimes with ancient ritual made them ideal subjects for reproduction as decorative objects. In the late eighteenth century, when the supply of jade was plentiful, archaistic bells and fanciful stone chimes were made from the precious material. The fashion for this type of jade object probably began in the imperial workshops during the Qianlong reign (1736–95) and continued in commercial enterprises through the nineteenth century.

Xiao, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th–19th century. China, Fukien Province. Porcelain. Diam. 1–1 3/8 in. (2.6–3.5 cm), L. 23 1/8 in. (58.7 cm) Rogers Fund, 1988 (1988.91)

Bamboo is the typical material for end-blown flutes, but special decorative ones have sometimes been produced. This molded porcelain tube, marked "Lin Chao Jing," mimics bamboo and is decorated at each end with a vegetal meander, a "Greek key" pattern, and a leaf design. That the instrument is playable is remarkable, as probably only one out of two hundred fired would sound correctly.

Dizi, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th–19th century. China. Jade. L. 21 7/16 in. (54.5 cm) Gift of Rolf Jacoby, 1965 (65.149a,b)

A jade flute would have been used by a professional musician. This example was likely made for a wealthy amateur or as a decorative subject.

Sheng, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century. China. Wood, metal, ivory. H. 19 3/4 in. (50.2 cm), W. including mouthpiece 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm) The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.96)

Southeast Asian in origin and used before the twelfth century B.C., the sheng also played an important role in Confucian music. Now, it accompanies folk songs and is occasionally used in the Beijing opera to add harmony. Similar to the Western harmonica, which it inspired, the sheng is the only Chinese wind instrument capable of sounding many notes at the same time. It is played by blowing and sucking. The bamboo pipes, symbolizing the folded wings of the phoenix, are fitted with free reeds made of metal, concealed by the bowl-shaped wind chamber.

Yunluo ("cloud gong"), Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century. China. Bronze. H. of frame 28 in. (71.1 cm), W. 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm), Diam. of largest gong 4 in. (10.2 cm) The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.15a)

The yunluo consists of ten tuned bronze gongs of varying thicknesses, which provide different pitches when struck with a small mallet. First cited in the early fourteenth century, this instrument was originally used at court and in Confucian ceremonies, but by the eighteenth century, it was also found at private rituals such as weddings and funerals. By the mid-twentieth century, it had been incorporated into large orchestras and was enlarged to twenty-four or more gongs struck with two mallets.

Suona, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century. China. Rosewood, brass. L. 17 15/16 in. (44.2 cm), Diam. of bell 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm) The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.20)

Double-reed instruments first appeared during the late Han dynasty, having originated in the Middle East. The term suona derives from zurna, the Arabic name for the instrument. It is depicted, along with many other instruments, in images created from the third to the fifth century in the Buddhist cave temples at Kizil. The penetrating sound of the suona, ideal for processions and military functions, was easily appropriated for popular music. Several varieties are found in China, including a smaller version called a haidi. The player, whose mouth completely covers the small reeds, uses circular breathing (inhaling through the nose) to maintain a constant tone.