Page 67 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

were academic talks on qin, qin performances, as well as displays of He was celebrated alongside Yang Zongji of the Jiuyi School and
ancient instruments from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Wang Binlu of the Mei’an School at the time. In addition to his qin
The attendees even went on to emulate the elegant gathering at the skills, Li Zizhao also excelled in painting, especially landscapes
Orchid Pavilion, with Wu Changshuo writing the ‘Notes of the qin and plum blossoms.’ It is obvious that Mr Hu cherished the
gathering in the Yi Garden’ and Li Zizhao painting the ‘Qin gathering instrument much.
in the Yi Garden’. This was the first nationwide qin event in modern
China. In September 2019, the centenary celebration of this event, ‘100 To the bottom left of the inscribed name of the instrument, ‘Jingtao’,
Years on String’, was also held in the Yi Garden. Again, established qin is a signature of Huang Tingjian(1045-1105). Its calligraphic style can
masters gathered, and 14 ancient instruments including ‘Yulinglong’ be compared with the same signature found on the ‘Jiuxiao Huanpei’
and ‘Kumuyin’ were exhibited, echoing the first qin exhibition here 100 qin of the Tang Dynasty in the collection of the Palace Museum. Also,
years ago. Indeed, it may have been at the Yi Garden qin gathering that its original lianzhu form, the application of ash and lacquer layers, as
Mr Li Zizhao acquired the ‘Jingtao’ qin, as the time of his acquisition well as the patterns of the cracks, do present, to some degree, a Tang
coincided with the gathering that took place in 1919. dynasty style. The connoisseurship of qin instruments differs from
authentication, and there are often exceptions beyond the standard
In 1953, ‘Jingtao’ was acquired by Hu Ruosi. He was so delighted that instrument. The sound of ‘Jingtao’ has already continued for over
he even made a painting titled ‘Acquiring a qin’ which he published 100 years since the Yi Garden qin gathering with a clear and
later in the Huo Ruosi Huaji 胡若思畫集 (Paintings by Hu Ruosi), noting, prominent provenance, which is more than enough to make it a
‘“Jingtao” previously belonged to the late qin master Li Zizhao, a native truly exceptional instrument.
to Chongqing, Sichuan, and a qin master of the Shudi Shanlin School.

Left X-ray scan of ‘Jingtao’ qin Middle ‘Kumu longyin’ qin, Tang Right Kumu longyin’ qin, Tang
左 驚濤琴X光掃描 Dynasty Image courtesy of The Dynasty
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Image courtesy of The Chinese
Sackler Gallery National Academy of Arts
中 美國國立亞洲藝術博物館藏 右 中國藝術研究院藏
唐代枯木龍吟琴 唐代枯木龍吟琴

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