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Chinese Huanghuali Erhu Musical Instrument - 19th Century

Chinese Huanghuali Erhu Musical Instrument - 19th Century


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Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Scholar Art: Pre 1900: Item # 1411241

Please refer to our stock # MUS-001 when inquiring.
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A rare huanghuali wood Chinese "violin" called an erhu. The main body and neck are carved from a single piece of huanghuali wood, its top stretched with snake skin of beautiful patterning. The bottom of the main body has a sound hole with an openwork carving of a stylized "shou" character meaning longevity (this bottom panel is a separate piece of huanghuali). A boxwood carving of a dragon wraps around the end of the huanghuali fingerboard - it's mouth open and holding a moving glass ball of a blue-green color. The two pegs - also of boxwood - are carved with vertical fluting. Erhu is a kind of violin (fiddle) with two strings which, together with zhonghu, gaohu, sihu, etc, belongs to the "huqin" family. It is said that its origin would be dated up to the Tang dynasty (618-907) and related to the instrument, called xiqin originated from a Mongolian tribe Xi. During Song dynasty (960-1279), the second generation of the huqin was among the instruments played at the imperial banquets. During the Dynasties of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911), the erhu underwent a great development at the time of the golden age of the local operas Period: Late 19th Century. Size: Length = 93 cm (36-1/2") Height of Body: 18.5 cm (7-1/4") Diameter of bottom of body = 12.3 cm (4-7/8") Condition: No repairs