Item No.: 1742
Name: A Yue ware figure of a young zither player with green decoration
Period: pre-Tang dynasty
Height: 22.3 cm
The figure wears his hair tied up beneath a crown and is dressed in a Han-style robe with a left-over-right closure and a belt around the waist. Kneeling, he plays a stringed instrument placed horizontally across his knees, possibly a zheng or a se. His nose is straight, while his deeply defined, angular brow ridges give his face a striking three-dimensional quality. His eyes are slightly lowered, and a smile plays at the corners of his mouth, conveying the satisfaction and joy of being immersed in the music.
His posture is composed and confident. Leaning slightly forward, he focuses intently on plucking the strings, as though completely absorbed in the melody and inviting the listener into the beautiful music about to be performed. Like the preceding musician figurine playing a wind instrument, his sharply modeled facial features and flowing, richly layered garments evoke the realistic characteristics of Gandharan art. At the same time, his tied-up hair and crown, left-over-right Han-style robe, and kneeling performance posture together portray an ancient Han Chinese musician deeply absorbed in and devoted to music.