The lute, or ch'in, has been regarded as a symbol of enlightenment by the Chinese since Confucian times (6th century b.c.). By the 17th century, it was a required object in most scholar's studies. This exceptionally rare lute has inscriptions on its bottom, including the title Chung Ho ("middle harmony") and the number 57. One of a series made in 1634 for Prince Lu, a son of the Wan-li emperor, it was probably given as a gift to a friend or member of his aristocratic literary circle. The instrument also bears the gilded mark Lu-kuo shih ch'uan ("heirloom of the Lu State") and an engraved poem, signed by Ching-i chu-jen, that reads:
The moonlight is reflected in the Yangtze;
A light breeze blows over clear dew drops.
Only in a tranquil place
Can one comprehend the feeling of eternity.
cxd
<P>The lute, or ch'in, has been regarded as a symbol of enlightenment by the Chinese since Confucian times (6th century b.c.). By the 17th century, it was a required object in most scholar's studies. This exceptionally rare lute has inscriptions on its bottom, including the title Chung Ho ("middle harmony") and the number 57. One of a series made in 1634 for Prince Lu, a son of the Wan-li emperor, it was probably given as a gift to a friend or member of his aristocratic literary circle. The instrument also bears the gilded mark Lu-kuo shih ch'uan ("heirloom of the Lu State") and an engraved poem, signed by Ching-i chu-jen, that reads:</P><P>The moonlight is reflected in the Yangtze;</P><P>A light breeze blows over clear dew drops.</P><P>Only in a tranquil place</P><P>Can one comprehend the feeling of eternity.</P>
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