PROPERTY OF A LADY A Large Lacquer QinMing Dynasty or Earlier The flat elongated body with two waisted sections on both sides, lacquered black, the surface slightly ice-cracked and worn due to age, the top with thirteen inlaid-gold studs ( hui ), seven strings threaded through tasseled stag antler pegs ( qinzhen ) running over the top and tied to either of the two button-like jade pegs ( yanzu ) on the back, with two rectangular openings, the large one termed 'dragon pool' ( longchi ) and the smaller 'phoenix pond' ( fengzhao ), the underside bearing an inscription, cloth bag and lacquer carrying box. 48in (121.92cm) long; 7 1/2in (19cm) wide; 3 5/8in (9cm) deep 明或更早 仲尼式古琴 The inscription on the silk bag may be read as: 竹逸居士遺愛宋琴囊 明治卅又一季嵗次戊戌X三月XXX人XX改裝 中華民國四十七年嵗次戊戌夏七月XX寫於東京 and may be translated as: The bag of Song dynasty qin which belonged to Zhuyi jushi Meiji 31 year (1898), on the third month, repaired by XX Minguo 47 year (1958), on the seventh month in the summer, recorded by XX in Tokyo For aparable qin (zither) dated to the 16th/17th century, see the handbook published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Arts of China , 2013, p. 131, which includes a lengthy discussion of the zither as a quintessentially Chinese instrument, associated with refinement and learning from as early as the seventh century BCE. The bodies were constructed from seasoned woods and then applied with a lacquer finish. The symbolism of the instrument include parts named after auspicious animals. The length of the zither in Chinese units represent the number of days in a year, while the thirteen inlaid markers along the fingerboard refer to the lunar cycle. The curved top symbolizes heaven, the flat bottom represents earth, and the players presencepletes the Confucian cosmology of earth, human and heaven. It became a symbol of literary life, seen hanging on scholar's walls in paintings from the sixteenth century on. For an example of a qin player painted on a late Ming blue and white jardinière, see lot 185 in the present sale. Our qin is in the Zhongni form – also known as the Confucius style – as this was the shape supposedly used and favored by the Sage. Our instrument is relatively large, resembling qins of the Tang dynasty and Song dynasties. For examples, see the Song dynasty qin , ' Wan he song ' in the Place Museum, Beijing, ofparable size to the present lot (128.6cm long x 20.4cm wide); and also the Southern Song dynasty qin , ' Ben lei ', 126cm long x 20cm wide, illustrated in ibid ., pp. 74-77, 88-89, nos.10 and 13. The shape of the present qin features broad shoulders and a wide waist, resembling the earlier form of Tang dynasty qins . However, the lower section is flatter and angular, and more closely resembles Song dynasty qins . For other Ming dynasty lacquered qin made for court music, see a black lacquered qin , 126cm long, Ming dy