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Chinese Pewter Box in Shape of a Gu Qin browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Chinese:Metalwork: Pre 1920: item # 763491 Please refer to our stock # 6B-185 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $245 |
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This unusual Chinese hinged covered box has been crafted in pewter in the form of the musical instrument known in China as a “qin” (also “gu qin,” “ch’in,” “chin”). Late 19th/early 20th century; likely from Ch’ao-chou in eastern Kwangtung province. The top and sides are decorated with punched floral motifs on a ground of punched circles, and an engraved pewter bat has been applied above the hinge. The section of the cover which opens was crafted to simulate an encasement for the instrument, with seven raised pewter tuning pegs and strings made of brass. The edge is completely outlined in brass. The bottom is stamped with three hall marks, denoting a piece of superior quality and metal craftsmanship. There is a removable pewter tray which fits into the interior, and the lid is lined with old mirrored glass. The box could have been a scholar’s box, used to store small desk accessories such as ink sticks, seals or incense. Or it may have been a woman’s cosmetic box. Pewter is an alloy of tin and lead which acquires a unique soft gun-metal color after long usage. The alloy readily lends itself to surface decoration. It is soft, easily worked and readily bonded to a variety of other materials through applying moderate heat. Examples of Ch’ao-chou pewter pieces tend to be identifiable through their frequent use of punches rather than engraving tools to produce surface designs, and Ch’ao-chou pewterers often placed their studio marks on their products. A fondness for punched “pearl” grounds made with hollow punches is also characteristic of Ch’ao-chou pewter. (See “Chinese Pewter Tea Wares” by Bennet Bronson and Ho Chuimei in ARTS OF ASIA November-December 1988.) The qin is one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments, with a history that spans nearly 3,000 years. It is a board zither with seven strings, seven tuning pegs, thirteen marks for notes and four low feet. The qin was the instrument of the Confucian superior man and most of the scholars of the day were required to study and regularly practice the instrument. Many objects for the scholar’s desk were crafted in the shape of a qin – a shape which has long associations with the pursuits of the scholar. Condition is very good, with only minor wear consistent with age and usage. Dimensions: 6 ¼” (16 cm) long, 2 ¾” (7 cm) wide, 1 ½” (3.8 cm) high. |
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