"The fifth string sound is the most muffled, and the longshui frozen throat cannot flow." The five strings are played together and the audition is performed, and the poignant cut is revived. ”——
Bai Juyi's "Five-StringEd Bullet"
Five-string pipa is a long-standing plucked string instrument in ancient times on the mainland, in the tang dynasty was one of the most popular instruments in the central plains of the mainland, because the pipa is generally four strings, so the five-string pipa is born, it is deeply loved by people with its chic shape. The Old Book of Tang and Li Lezhi records: "Pipa, five strings and kabuki have been loved since Wenxiang, and after the Heqing Dynasty, they were especially prosperous." ”
Unfortunately, the five-string pipa was only popular until the Tang Dynasty, and the production skills of the late Tang Dynasty were gradually lost in the years of war, until the orphan products could not survive. By the Song Dynasty, the five-stringed pipa had disappeared from the Central Plains, and today there are only two imitations in China, and the paintings of the flying fairies in dunhuang murals often play this kind of pipa.
However, in the north courtyard of the Japanese Imperial Household Agency Shosoin Temple, there is a collection of "spiral rosewood five-string pipa", which is a true Tang Dynasty five-string pipa, which belongs to the world's unique product, and there is no second such cultural relic in the world. In Japan, this five-stringed pipa is considered a royal artifact because it was first introduced to Japan by Emperor Shengmu, the 45th emperor of the Nara period.
Emperor Shengmu was the eldest son of Emperor Bunmu, in the common era
724
years
749
During his reign, he greatly admired the culture of the Tang Dynasty, and worked hard to absorb and learn the advanced cultural knowledge of the Tang Dynasty, and also applied the political system of the Tang Dynasty to the governance of the country, and finally created a grand cultural scene of tianping.
During the reign of Emperor Shengwu, he twice sent Tang envoys to the Tang Dynasty to study and observe, and after abdicating, he also received the Zhen zhen master of Dongdu. During this period, Tang Xuanzong also gave the emperor many treasures, including this precious five-string pipa of spiral rosewood, which is a fine art of the Tang Dynasty and has now become the only remaining five-string pipa cultural relics in the world.
This lute is exquisitely crafted, made of rosewood throughout and full length
108.5
Cm, belly width
31
centimeter. "Screw tungsten" is a very long-standing craft, but also a unique Chinese art treasure, the Tang Dynasty coincided with its most mature period. Specifically, it refers to a decorative process that uses snail shells or sea shells to grind various patterns, shapes or flakes, and then inlaid on the surface of utensils.
The spiral ornamentation on this lute is extremely exquisite and gorgeous, with musicians riding camels playing the lute on the front and inlaid with extremely ornate hundred-flower ornaments on the back. These finely carved patterns can not only show the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, but also reflect the exquisite and superb craftsmanship of the production techniques, and it is no wonder that Emperor Shengwu cherished it so much.
Today, China can no longer find an ancient pipa that can be compared with it, and Japan will never return it, after all, this is different from the cultural relics looted during the war, it is a witness to the cultural exchange between China and Japan, and it can also reflect the historical style of the peak period of Chinese culture.
In a cultural and historical sense, the five-stringed pipa is not only a treasure of China or Japan, it has become a common cultural heritage of all mankind. From the bodies of these unique orphans, no matter which country people are, they can glimpse a ray of sky from the most prosperous era in Chinese history.