Zither (Qin), 5th century BCE, 2 3/4 x 3 5/16 x 34 1/4 in. ( x x 87 cm), Lacquer over wood core, China, 5th century BCE, Remarkable for its state of preservation and vivid colors, this rare five-stringed instrument called qin is constructed from a single piece of wood with a rectangular hole cut in the underside serving as a sound box. The important discovery of the tomb of Marquis I of Cheng (433 BCE), which yielded the massive set of sixty-five bronze bells also included two types of lacquer zithers: one version with ten strings resembled the rectangular type held by the tomb

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