Pair of Chinese Bamboo Vertical Flutes ‘Xiao’ each Inscribed in Their Original Box Inscribed ‘Made by Zhang Lunshan of Yuping Guizhou’

Pair of Chinese Bamboo Vertical Flutes ‘Xiao’ each Inscribed in Their Original Box Inscribed ‘Made by Zhang Lunshan of Yuping Guizhou’.

A Scholar’s Object.

Early Republic / Circa 1912 - 1920.

PROVENANCE: 

Ex Private Hong Kong collection.

Ex Hugh Moss 1994.

Ex Finch and Co, catalogue item no. 17, catalogue no. 30, 2018.

Ex Oliver Hoare Ltd.

Ex Private collection.

The Chinese province of Guizhou is famous for its excellent bamboo flutes which are a symbol of the Chinese scholar. Its sound was sacred and was traditionally said to be carried by one of the eight immortals called Han Xiangzi. Each flute is inscribed with a poem extolling the inspiring sound that it produces and of the beauty of the ‘Jade Lady’ who plays it:

‘Under the bright moonlight

to which family does this Jade Lady belong ?

playing a song under a quarter moon

the lofty thoughts of a scholar may match those of Sima Qian

the ancient flying tunes of a thousand years past

come alive in this Zhaoji studio’

Sima Qian was an ancient historian of the early Han dynasty (died 86 BC) and regarded as a paragon of scholarly virtues.

Dimensions

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance