#yueqin

[vintage-treasures]

Chinese Lute (yueqin), paulownia wood (19th century) The yueqin, also called a moon lute or moon guitar, is a traditional Chinese string instrument.

Crafted from paulownia wood, valued for its resonant qualities, this instrument features a short neck and a round, hollow body. It has played a vital role in Chinese opera and folk music for centuries, providing a distinct and bright rhythmic accompaniment. Loc. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, US. Dim. 60.5 cm L x 35 cm W (23 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.).

[ziseviolet]

I feel bad for asking this here but don’t know who to ask: Do you know any tumblr blogs about Chinese instruments(about them/how to play them/where to buy them/maintenance? Something like that)?

Hi, thanks for the question!

Unfortunately, I don’t know of any active/substantial tumblr blogs specifically focused on Chinese instruments. I’m sure there are plenty of websites on Chinese instruments outside of tumblr, though. If any followers have recs, please share! 

In the meantime, I have a Chinese instruments tag for all related content on my blog. I also have tags for individual Chinese instruments like guqin, guzheng, pipa, yueqin, erhu, dizi, suona, etc. 

Hope this helps! (photo of lady w/hanfu & yueqin via duitang)

[orientallyyours]

Yueqin (lute) dating from about 1886. Dimensions: 65.9 (l) x 36.7 (diam.) x 4.3 (thick.) cm. Accession number: 1981.761. Inscribed on the back is a poem

Source: Museum of Fine Arts Boston

[seamerdex]

SDCP Challenge #20 Results

     We’ve got ourselves a little rock band here! Sorry I’ll stop.

     On the left is Turp’s suggestion, a Rock Lobster Seamer! (Whom I am calling Lobrok!) While this one is based on a song, it’ll be just Earth type. This one’s actually an evolution for Lobsturf! 

This was also the only submission for this challenge, so the other two up above are both my own designs!

     The center friend is Yueki, a Music type Seamer based on a Yueqin! I’ve been doing some research on instruments I hadn’t heard of, and this one already looked like it had a face! How could I not?

     Speaking of instruments I’m just now discovering, on the right is Oodoo, a Music / Earth type Seamer based on an Udu drum! The Udu’s an instrument I’ve heard throughout my life without ever knowing what it was. Look it up! The sounds it makes are so unique!

Here are the patch notes for this update:

Lobrok added to the Dex [Earth]

Yueki added to the Dex [Music]

Oodoo added to the Dex [Music/Earth]

 These Seamers will be added to the Dex now, and Challenge #21 will be up  after that! There are a lot of BIG changes/new ideas coming to the world of Seamers very soon, and I’m excited to share them all with you, though I’ll need another week to prepare! (Expect a major shakeup of the Dex order!) 

[orientallyyours]

Vintage advertisement for Hatamen cigarettes depicting a woman in a cheongsam holding a yueqin.

[orientallyyours]

Chinese American actress, Anna May Wong, was the first Asian Hollywood star whose career started in 1922. here she is posing with a yueqin.

via: Vintage Everyday

[orientallyyours]

Two seated musicians in Canton (Guangzhou), Kwangtung (Guangdong) province in 1869. They are holding string instruments, one of which is a yueqin. Photograph by pioneering Scottish photographer, geographer, and traveller, John Thomson (1837-1921). This is one of a collection of original (mainly glass) negatives made by Thomson between 1868 and 1872. Wellcome Library no. 19618i

Summary from the Wellcome Collection:

Both instruments were originally from Central Asia. They have been present in popular local singing performances throughout southern China, especially in Guangdong and Hong Kong, since the 19th century. Such performances were seen in a wide range of venues, from brothels to the homes of the elite, and they were always performed by blind musicians. In addition to traditional themes, the musicians often provided improvisations on current affairs and local life. These two musicians were hired for festival celebrations. As Thomson observed, wandering minstrels were a Chinese institution: in most cases the musician was blind, but might be accompanied by a sing-song girl, who tuned his lute and sang simple ballads to his music

Source: Wellcome Collection

[orientallyyours]

Performance on yueqin