Page 64 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

A Re-examination of the Multiple-

Layers of the ‘Jingtao’ Qin

MIN Junrong

This qin, named ‘Jingtao’ [the name could be translated as ‘striking and marks of natural age are valued and admired by later collectors,
waves’, ‘raging waves’ or ‘shocking waves’] is in the fengshi or they have never become an aesthetic consideration in the original
‘phoenix’ shape, with a length of 121.6cm, a width of 19cm at its production of a qin. To this day, there is still no known qin made during
forehead, 20.8cm at its shoulder, and 15cm at its tail. The sound the Song dynasty that deliberately imitates the wear and tear of a Tang
absorber inside the qin is of a soft texture and in brownish-yellow dynasty instrument.
colour. The wood used for the yueshan or bridge cannot be identified
because of the multiple layers of lacquer added over time for Throughout history, a plain and flawless surface has been considered
conservation. The tuning pegs and the ‘goose feet’ (the supporting legs the ultimate aesthetic quality for qin. Indeed, the lacquer-work on the
of a qin and where the ends of the strings are collected and tied to) are, ‘Jingtao’ qin suggests that the craftsmanship and aesthetic quality of a
however, of very fine texture and of warm tone. The ‘goose feet’ are ‘plain’ instrument are not below those with more complex decorations.
carved naturalistically in the shape of goose feet, giving the instrument If left unprocessed and unrefined, the natural raw lacquer will dry to a
a sense of life as it appears to wander or take off like a bird. Over the translucent chestnut-brown tone with poor consistency, resulting in a
body of the instrument, layers of overlapping red and black lacquer thin and uneven coating. If such lacquer was directly applied to a qin,
were applied over a long interval of time, presenting a rich effect of it would not be able cover the particles in the antler ash applied to the
gorgeous colours and craquelure resembling at times the scales of a wooden qin body before the lacquer layers, leading to an unsatisfying
snake, water ripples, ice-flakes, or ox fur. The name of the instrument visual effect. To produce a high-quality lacquer finish, the lacquer needs
(‘Jingtao’ 驚濤) is inscribed on the underside of the neck, also bearing to be refined and different materials need to be added to generate a
the signature of ‘Tingjian’ (庭堅), both filled in with malachite green variety of colours--iron or charcoal for black and cinnabar for red. There
pigment. Below the ‘phoenix pond’ is a further inscription that reads ‘Mr are also purple and brown colours with subtle variations in shades, with
Li Zizhao acquired this ancient qin in Shanghai in Autumn, in the ninth different proportion of other colour additions. Furthermore, the drying
month of the Jiwei year (corresponding to 1919), repaired and recorded process at different temperatures, humidity and the degree of oxidation
by Yi Daoren of Sichuan.’ also results in different colours. There will never be two qin of the same
colour, and that is the charm of lacquer work.
First Impressions of the ‘Jingtao’ qin in cinnabar lacquer
I first encountered the ‘Jingtao’ qin at an exhibition of guqin in the Hu Since the Tang dynasty, most qin have been lacquered with warm
Ruosi (1916-2004) Collection and I was deeply impressed by its noble colours, with very few being coated in pure black. This is partly due to
form and rich colours which are like layers of rosy clouds. the aesthetic preferences of certain colours, as well as the limitations
Regarding the aesthetics of qin, playing a plain and undecorated of lacquer-making techniques at the time, when pure black was difficult
instrument is deemed the most appropriate. On the ‘Jingtao’ qin, the to achieve. In fact, both purple and brown lacquer were the closest
cinnabar lacquer is just one layer, and the blackish maroon lacquer colours to black at the time, with purple being the most widely used.
is the layer on top. When the instrument was first made, the two Two major methods of lacquering had been developed to achieve a
overlapping colours together created a deep purple hue. The cracks on nice purple colour. One was to mix black and vermilion lacquer directly
the lacquered surface and the rich colours on the instrument, as we see into a purple coating, the other was to overpaint the coloured surface
it now, were not deliberate, but are rather traces of a natural process with transparent lacquer which appears in a brown hue. The second
of aging and historical repairs. Although such traces of restoration method has also been used to generate other colours, in which the

62 | BONHAMS