Harps on the ancient silk road

One can derive a great deal of information on Chinese music from images painted during the first millennium along the Silk Road, including Dunhuang, especially if combined with Chinese texts. Long before the arrival of Buddhism in China, music held an important place in Confucian and Daoist ritual....

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Main Author: B. Lawergren
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov 2022-07-01
Series:Nomadic Civilization: Historical Research
Online Access:https://www.nomadic-kalmsu.ru/jour/article/view/52
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author B. Lawergren
author_facet B. Lawergren
author_sort B. Lawergren
collection DOAJ
description One can derive a great deal of information on Chinese music from images painted during the first millennium along the Silk Road, including Dunhuang, especially if combined with Chinese texts. Long before the arrival of Buddhism in China, music held an important place in Confucian and Daoist ritual. With the arrival of Buddhism, its followers demanded no less, but they required instruments quite different from the ritual instruments used during the first millennium b.c.e. — bronze bells, stone chimes, and large drums. The instruments brought by Buddhists were light (lutes, harps, flutes, reed instruments, and small drums). Most survived in China, but harps (konghou) disappeared shortly after 1000 c.e. as Buddhism declined. One of the last depictions of harps is found in cave 465 at the Mogao Grottoes (thirteenth century). This paper attempts to compile what is known about these ancient instruments, information vital to conservators, art historians, instrument makers, and musicians who wish to revive earlier practice. Harps died out in China, but replicas are now played in several places, for example, the Dunhuang Academy, the Shanghai Conservatory, Jeonju (Korea), and Tokyo.
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spelling doaj.art-df24a3a738ee4ecf8293bf09701a04752023-03-13T08:42:28ZrusKalmyk State University named after B.B. GorodovikovNomadic Civilization: Historical Research2782-33772022-07-0122354910.53315/2782-3377-2022-2-2-35-4951Harps on the ancient silk roadB. Lawergren0Факультет физики и астрономии, Хантерcкий колледж Городского университета Нью-ЙоркаOne can derive a great deal of information on Chinese music from images painted during the first millennium along the Silk Road, including Dunhuang, especially if combined with Chinese texts. Long before the arrival of Buddhism in China, music held an important place in Confucian and Daoist ritual. With the arrival of Buddhism, its followers demanded no less, but they required instruments quite different from the ritual instruments used during the first millennium b.c.e. — bronze bells, stone chimes, and large drums. The instruments brought by Buddhists were light (lutes, harps, flutes, reed instruments, and small drums). Most survived in China, but harps (konghou) disappeared shortly after 1000 c.e. as Buddhism declined. One of the last depictions of harps is found in cave 465 at the Mogao Grottoes (thirteenth century). This paper attempts to compile what is known about these ancient instruments, information vital to conservators, art historians, instrument makers, and musicians who wish to revive earlier practice. Harps died out in China, but replicas are now played in several places, for example, the Dunhuang Academy, the Shanghai Conservatory, Jeonju (Korea), and Tokyo.https://www.nomadic-kalmsu.ru/jour/article/view/52
spellingShingle B. Lawergren
Harps on the ancient silk road
Nomadic Civilization: Historical Research
title Harps on the ancient silk road
title_full Harps on the ancient silk road
title_fullStr Harps on the ancient silk road
title_full_unstemmed Harps on the ancient silk road
title_short Harps on the ancient silk road
title_sort harps on the ancient silk road
url https://www.nomadic-kalmsu.ru/jour/article/view/52
work_keys_str_mv AT blawergren harpsontheancientsilkroad