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Safe and sound: After 800 years a zither makes beautiful music
By Mu Zhi and Wen Wubei |
May 30, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AN 800-year-old seven-string zither is safe and sound and making beautiful music once again.
The instrument, a guqin, required 15 months of laborious repair before it was unveiled and played by experts at a concert last week in the Minhang Museum.
Inscriptions on the body indicate the zither belonged to Mao Minzhong, a famed ancient zither player and collector in the late Song (960-1279) and early Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.
It is the oldest piece in the museum.
The badly damaged instrument was discovered two years ago; many parts had been lost, the wood was warped and the paint was peeling.
Experts said the timbre of an ancient zither is closely related with the timber used in its construction. The older the timber, the better the timbre, they say.
"The zither is a priceless antique once it is repaired," said Jin Wen, a museum employee.
It took several months to find the right person to make the repairs, with the help of Dasu Hall, a salon dedicated to collection and preservation of ancient musical instruments.
Finally, the district museum contacted Ni Shiyun, an old zither repairing expert in Haimen, Jiangsu Province.
After 15 months of repair and tuning, the zither was returned in April, safe and sound, and reborn.
"Unlike other antique instruments, an old zither should be played regularly, otherwise it deteriorates," Jin said.
In last week's concert, the instrument was plucked by artists.
"It sounds wonderful," Jin said.
The instrument, a guqin, required 15 months of laborious repair before it was unveiled and played by experts at a concert last week in the Minhang Museum.
Inscriptions on the body indicate the zither belonged to Mao Minzhong, a famed ancient zither player and collector in the late Song (960-1279) and early Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.
It is the oldest piece in the museum.
The badly damaged instrument was discovered two years ago; many parts had been lost, the wood was warped and the paint was peeling.
Experts said the timbre of an ancient zither is closely related with the timber used in its construction. The older the timber, the better the timbre, they say.
"The zither is a priceless antique once it is repaired," said Jin Wen, a museum employee.
It took several months to find the right person to make the repairs, with the help of Dasu Hall, a salon dedicated to collection and preservation of ancient musical instruments.
Finally, the district museum contacted Ni Shiyun, an old zither repairing expert in Haimen, Jiangsu Province.
After 15 months of repair and tuning, the zither was returned in April, safe and sound, and reborn.
"Unlike other antique instruments, an old zither should be played regularly, otherwise it deteriorates," Jin said.
In last week's concert, the instrument was plucked by artists.
"It sounds wonderful," Jin said.
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