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Pipa

1800s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

The term <em>pipa</em>, known since the 3rd century BC, describes the playing motion of the right hand: <em>pi</em>, “to play forward” (left), and <em>pa</em>, “to play backward” (right). A type of lute played with the fingers, it is used in opera and storytelling ensembles and has an impressive, virtuosic solo repertoire. Historic imagery, such as wall paintings, documents the spread of the pipa, along the Silk Road from western and central Asia to China. The bat finial here is a commonly used device on 19th-century Chinese lutes symbolizing good luck.

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  • Title: Pipa
  • Date Created: 1800s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 95.4 x 27.4 x 8 cm (37 9/16 x 10 13/16 x 3 1/8 in.)
  • Provenance: Ralph King [1855–1926], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Musical Instrument
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1918.344
  • Medium: Wood, ivory, bone, gut
  • Original Title: 琵琶
  • Fun Fact: The string holder is made of bone.
  • Department: Chinese Art
  • Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
  • Credit Line: The Charles G. King, Jr. Collection. Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King, Jr.
  • Collection: Chinese Art
  • Accession Number: 1918.344
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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