The Feiquan Guqin: A Late Tang Masterpiece

Crafted during the Late Tang Dynasty, the Feiquan (飞泉) is a magnificent Lianzhu-style (连珠式) guqin currently housed in the Palace Museum. Measuring 121.6 cm in length, its body features a chestnut-brown lacquer finish with vermillion repairs, showcasing delicate serpentine and ice-like crackle patterns over a pure deer antler plaster base.

The instrument is elegantly adorned with mother-of-pearl markers, a rosewood bridge, and exquisite white jade tuning pegs that are as smooth as congealed fat. Its back is rich in historical significance, featuring the cursive name Feiquan, ancient seals such as Zhenguan Second Year (贞观二年) and Yuzhen (玉振), alongside a 32-character poetic engraving in seal script. Notably, the name, the Yuzhen seal, and the poem are all elegantly filled with gold. Donated to the museum in 1979, this perfectly proportioned instrument embodies the aesthetic sophistication and ethereal resonance of classical Chinese zither artistry.