Zither (Qin), 1634 (dated by inscription), 47 x 7 x 3 1/2 in. ( x x cm), Black and red lacquered wood with jade thumb screws, China, 17th century, The zither, or qin, has been regarded as a symbol of enlightenment by the Chinese since Confucian times (6th century BCE). By the seventeenth century, it was a required object in most scholars' studies, if only for display. This rare example has inscriptions on the bottom, including the title Zhong He ('middle harmony') and the number 57.

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