Musical Instrument 2nd page
in addition to Violin and Guitar.
See also : Musical instrument Archaic China Northern Song Movies Pop music The Beatles
Chronology : 1-1000 1710-1719
See also : Musical instrument Archaic China Northern Song Movies Pop music The Beatles
Chronology : 1-1000 1710-1719
756 Gods, Sages and Emperors
2011 SOLD 115 M RMB yuan by China Guardian
narrated post sale
The qin is the traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. The antique variants are now designated as guqin.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
1120 Song Guqin
2010 SOLD for RMB 137M including premium by Poly
narrated in 2021
The Huizong emperor, whose political incompetence led to the downfall of the Northern Song, was arguably the most important art lover of all time. At the beginning of Xuanhe, the sixth and final era of his reign, he had a catalog prepared of his collection, listing 6,391 paintings by 231 artists.
The esthete emperor was also a music lover. A self-portrait shows him playing the guqin, the zither with seven plucked strings used since the time of Confucius, 1600 years earlier.
An imperial guqin dated to the second year of Xuanhe, 1120 CE, has remained in a superb condition which has preserved its original sound. Some restorations under the Qing did not alter its sound box. According to the tradition for the most prestigious instruments, its name echoes its sound : Song Shi Jian Yi, stones amidst pine trees.
This classically shaped luxuriously lacquered instrument measures 126 cm overall, 21 cm shoulder wide and 4.7 cm thick.
After having been owned since 1953 by Fan Boyan, a famous guqin player in Shanghai, it was sold on December 5, 2010 by Poly for RMB 137M including premium from a lower estimate of RMB 20M, lot 5681. It is illustrated in the post sale report by People's Daily.
The esthete emperor was also a music lover. A self-portrait shows him playing the guqin, the zither with seven plucked strings used since the time of Confucius, 1600 years earlier.
An imperial guqin dated to the second year of Xuanhe, 1120 CE, has remained in a superb condition which has preserved its original sound. Some restorations under the Qing did not alter its sound box. According to the tradition for the most prestigious instruments, its name echoes its sound : Song Shi Jian Yi, stones amidst pine trees.
This classically shaped luxuriously lacquered instrument measures 126 cm overall, 21 cm shoulder wide and 4.7 cm thick.
After having been owned since 1953 by Fan Boyan, a famous guqin player in Shanghai, it was sold on December 5, 2010 by Poly for RMB 137M including premium from a lower estimate of RMB 20M, lot 5681. It is illustrated in the post sale report by People's Daily.
Yu Shu Tang Guqin
2010 SOLD for RMB 58M by Suzhou Wumen
narrated in 2021
On November 15, 2010, Suzhou Wumen, an auction house in the suburbs of Shanghai, sold a guqin for RMB 58M including premium. It is illustrated in the post sale report shared by People's Daily.
This 128 cm long undated instrument is of the Jiaoye type, in English banana leaf, so named for its wavy edges. It has lost its bottom. It is painted in black and red and is inscribed Yu Shu Tang.
Built at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Yu Shu Tang was an official residence in the city of Qufu which served to receive emperors and imperial envoys visiting the Confucian temple. Qufu was the hometown of Confucius, who is the most ancient witness to the use of the guqin.
The construction of this instrument is very luxurious, and there is no doubt that it was played in the Yu Shu Tang. Experts believe that it later belonged to the Qianlong emperor.
This 128 cm long undated instrument is of the Jiaoye type, in English banana leaf, so named for its wavy edges. It has lost its bottom. It is painted in black and red and is inscribed Yu Shu Tang.
Built at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Yu Shu Tang was an official residence in the city of Qufu which served to receive emperors and imperial envoys visiting the Confucian temple. Qufu was the hometown of Confucius, who is the most ancient witness to the use of the guqin.
The construction of this instrument is very luxurious, and there is no doubt that it was played in the Yu Shu Tang. Experts believe that it later belonged to the Qianlong emperor.
1715 pair of Kangxi Dragon ritual bells
2009 SOLD for HK$ 45.5M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2019 before the sale of another bell by Tessier et Sarrou (see below)
The Chinese music, based on a twelve-tone scale, was codified at the time of Confucius. The sound depends on the material of the instrument. The bronze bells or bianzhong constitute chimes. They are suspended from porticoes and struck with mallets. Within a carillon all bells have the same height and it is the thickness of the metal that generates the variety of tones.
Music is the supreme art that offers a perfect interpretation of all elements of nature including yin and yang. The imperial bianzhong are dated, as are the guqin.
In the Qing era, an imperial carillon is composed of sixteen bells including four repeated tones in high and low octaves. The gilt bronze bells are decorated with dragons in high relief.
On May 27, 2009, Christie's sold for HK $ 45.5M including premium from a lower estimate of HK $ 10M a pair of 30 cm high bells giving the 4th and 11th notes, dated Kangxi wushisi nian shi corresponding to 1715 CE, lot 1818.
On December 16, 2019, Tessier et Sarrou sold for € 670K including premium a 21 cm high bell dated Kangxi bing shen nian zhi corresponding to 1716 CE. It is set for the huang zhong which is the basic tone of the scale. The dragons are imperial, with five claws per paw.
Music is the supreme art that offers a perfect interpretation of all elements of nature including yin and yang. The imperial bianzhong are dated, as are the guqin.
In the Qing era, an imperial carillon is composed of sixteen bells including four repeated tones in high and low octaves. The gilt bronze bells are decorated with dragons in high relief.
On May 27, 2009, Christie's sold for HK $ 45.5M including premium from a lower estimate of HK $ 10M a pair of 30 cm high bells giving the 4th and 11th notes, dated Kangxi wushisi nian shi corresponding to 1715 CE, lot 1818.
On December 16, 2019, Tessier et Sarrou sold for € 670K including premium a 21 cm high bell dated Kangxi bing shen nian zhi corresponding to 1716 CE. It is set for the huang zhong which is the basic tone of the scale. The dragons are imperial, with five claws per paw.
1743 The Tenth Pitch of the Chime
2015 SOLD for $ 1.2M including premium
2019 UNSOLD
PRE 2019 SALE DISCUSSION
A 27.3 cm high Qing bell that had belonged to William Randolph Hearst was sold for $ 1.2M including premium by Sotheby's on September 15, 2015, lot 160. It provides the 10th note that operates in the lower octave and is very heavy, almost 15 kg. It is dated on the 8th year of Qianlong corresponding to 1743 CE. It is estimated £ 800K for sale by Christie's in London on November 5, lot 85. Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
Coming from another set of the same year, a 21 cm high bianzhong giving the 6th note had been sold for HK $ 33M including premium by Christie's on May 27, 2008. The 10th bell of that chime had been sold for HK $ 17.4M including premium by Christie's on June 3, 2015.
I narrated it as follows before the 2015 Sotheby's sale :
Since the time of Confucius and the Zhou dynasty, music is a way to commune with the world and to guide the emperor on the path of harmony and serenity. Since those early days, the theory is highly structured, based on a scale of twelve notes per octave.
The variety of sounds necessary for a perfect interpretation of nature, of earth and sky and also of yin and yang leads to the system of the eight tones (ba yin) according to the eight possible materials of the instrument. Schaeffner considers the ba yin as probably the oldest classification of musical instruments worldwide. In the ba yin, the metal is represented mainly by the bronze chime (bianzhong).
A complete bianzhong from 2,500 years ago found in the tomb identified as Marquis Yi's consists of 64 bells assembled in several racks, covering five octaves of twelve tones and whose operation required five musicians. Each almond shaped Yi bell offers two tones depending on whether it is hit from front or from side. The pieces vary in the thickness of the wall.
Music is the supreme art and imperial bells are dated, which is also the case for zithers. The piece for sale is the bell of the tenth pitch from a bianzhong of sixteen ovoid pieces. It wears the imperial Qianlong mark and is dated from the eighth year of his reign, 1743 in our calendar.
A 27.3 cm high Qing bell that had belonged to William Randolph Hearst was sold for $ 1.2M including premium by Sotheby's on September 15, 2015, lot 160. It provides the 10th note that operates in the lower octave and is very heavy, almost 15 kg. It is dated on the 8th year of Qianlong corresponding to 1743 CE. It is estimated £ 800K for sale by Christie's in London on November 5, lot 85. Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
Coming from another set of the same year, a 21 cm high bianzhong giving the 6th note had been sold for HK $ 33M including premium by Christie's on May 27, 2008. The 10th bell of that chime had been sold for HK $ 17.4M including premium by Christie's on June 3, 2015.
I narrated it as follows before the 2015 Sotheby's sale :
Since the time of Confucius and the Zhou dynasty, music is a way to commune with the world and to guide the emperor on the path of harmony and serenity. Since those early days, the theory is highly structured, based on a scale of twelve notes per octave.
The variety of sounds necessary for a perfect interpretation of nature, of earth and sky and also of yin and yang leads to the system of the eight tones (ba yin) according to the eight possible materials of the instrument. Schaeffner considers the ba yin as probably the oldest classification of musical instruments worldwide. In the ba yin, the metal is represented mainly by the bronze chime (bianzhong).
A complete bianzhong from 2,500 years ago found in the tomb identified as Marquis Yi's consists of 64 bells assembled in several racks, covering five octaves of twelve tones and whose operation required five musicians. Each almond shaped Yi bell offers two tones depending on whether it is hit from front or from side. The pieces vary in the thickness of the wall.
Music is the supreme art and imperial bells are dated, which is also the case for zithers. The piece for sale is the bell of the tenth pitch from a bianzhong of sixteen ovoid pieces. It wears the imperial Qianlong mark and is dated from the eighth year of his reign, 1743 in our calendar.
This Imperial Bell from the collection of William Randolph Hearst is on offer this Sept in #NY http://t.co/3XTvHmUMPO pic.twitter.com/e2BGRQZu15
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) August 26, 2015
1745 Legacy from the Second Tree
2016 SOLD for HK$ 56M including premium
During the second year of the Yongzheng emperor, the young prince Hongli is studying in a library of the imperial city. This Wutong Library is named in reference to a pair of trees placed from immemorial time at the entrance of the pavilion. One of them has already withered away and was replaced, symbolizing the regeneration.
Hongli has become the Qianlong emperor. The second wutong tree passes in its turn during the ninth year of the new reign. Qianlong orders by imperial decree that the wood of the old tree is used to make four qin.
The qin was honored under the Tang and the Song as the first in the list of the four treasures of the scholar. This luxurious zither with seven plucked strings offered the ultimate Chinese music. During the Qing dynasty, the qin is a scarce instrument that revives the past.
The realization of the four Qianlong qin is documented in considerable detail in the imperial books. Each of them is marked with another imperial poem. They are delivered to the Emperor on the 20th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of the reign, during the year 1745 of our calendar. One of the four qin survived. It is estimated HK $ 25M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 3605.
This tall instrument 1 m in overall length with cinnabar lacquered outer walls was conceived for prestige. It was sparingly played and remains in great condition.
Hongli has become the Qianlong emperor. The second wutong tree passes in its turn during the ninth year of the new reign. Qianlong orders by imperial decree that the wood of the old tree is used to make four qin.
The qin was honored under the Tang and the Song as the first in the list of the four treasures of the scholar. This luxurious zither with seven plucked strings offered the ultimate Chinese music. During the Qing dynasty, the qin is a scarce instrument that revives the past.
The realization of the four Qianlong qin is documented in considerable detail in the imperial books. Each of them is marked with another imperial poem. They are delivered to the Emperor on the 20th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of the reign, during the year 1745 of our calendar. One of the four qin survived. It is estimated HK $ 25M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 3605.
This tall instrument 1 m in overall length with cinnabar lacquered outer walls was conceived for prestige. It was sparingly played and remains in great condition.
An Imperial Cinnabar Lacquer Wutong Qin Ql from 1745 sells for HK$55.5/US$7.2m – far over est. and record for a Qing musical instrument pic.twitter.com/cXLtyQUWgR
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 5, 2016
1903 The Favorite Organ of Milhous Brothers
2012 SOLD 1.26 M$ including premium
The Milhous collection was auctioned in Boca Raton FL by RM Auctions in association with Sotheby's. The choice is vast. The session dedicated to mechanical musical instruments on February 25, 2012 includes nearly one hundred lots. Please watch the video introduction shared by the auction house.
For selecting the piece to be presented here, I let the brothers talk. In the video they reveal between 0:50 and 1:15 their favorite instrument, a fairground organ manufactured in 1903 by Ruth and sons in Waldkirch.
This small town in the Black Forest of Baden-Württemberg was a capital city of this specialty and Bruder and Ruth were the two major brands. Limonaire, the French manufacturer of street organs, also operated a plant in the town.
The Style 38-B is one of the largest mechanical organs ever built: 5.20 x 2.70 x 1.70 m. Its facade is richly sculpted with figures of Baroque musicians, not to omit the angels playing trumpets. According to the catalog, only two examples are in existence. The Milhous organ was sold for $ 1.26M from a lower estimate of $ 1M.
In the same sale the dance organ by Gaudin was sold for $ 1.15M and the Wotan by Welte or $ 1.1M.
For selecting the piece to be presented here, I let the brothers talk. In the video they reveal between 0:50 and 1:15 their favorite instrument, a fairground organ manufactured in 1903 by Ruth and sons in Waldkirch.
This small town in the Black Forest of Baden-Württemberg was a capital city of this specialty and Bruder and Ruth were the two major brands. Limonaire, the French manufacturer of street organs, also operated a plant in the town.
The Style 38-B is one of the largest mechanical organs ever built: 5.20 x 2.70 x 1.70 m. Its facade is richly sculpted with figures of Baroque musicians, not to omit the angels playing trumpets. According to the catalog, only two examples are in existence. The Milhous organ was sold for $ 1.26M from a lower estimate of $ 1M.
In the same sale the dance organ by Gaudin was sold for $ 1.15M and the Wotan by Welte or $ 1.1M.
(1927)-1942 The Moroccan Piano of Casablanca
2014 SOLD for $ 3.4M including premium
Casablanca, produced by Warner Bros in 1942, is one of the most outstanding and beloved movies of romantic action, offering the emotional meeting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. A basic part of the scenario is played around the piano in the night club.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
1963 Ringo on Drums
2015 SOLD for $ 2.1M including premium
Three days of sales will be needed by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills to disperse the collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach, from 3 to 5 December. No less than seven drum kits used by the musician with the Beatles or in his subsequent career are offered in this auction.
The Beatles reach the top position in the hit parade in February 1963. They now require the best instruments, not only for guitars. In April, Epstein and Starr choose together a three piece drum kit of Ludwig brand in a London specialized shop.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr is estimated $ 300K, lot 696 for sale on December 4. I invite you to watch the video shared by Julien's.
The Beatles reach the top position in the hit parade in February 1963. They now require the best instruments, not only for guitars. In April, Epstein and Starr choose together a three piece drum kit of Ludwig brand in a London specialized shop.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr is estimated $ 300K, lot 696 for sale on December 4. I invite you to watch the video shared by Julien's.
(1973)-1975 Freddie Mercury's Yamaha Grand Piano
2023 SOLD for £ 1.74M by Sotheby's
The Queen rock band is formed in 1970 in London by Freddie Mercury with Brian May and Roger Taylor, later joined by John Deacon.
Born Farrokh Bulsara to a Parsi family in Zanzibar, Freddie Mercury took piano lessons from the age of 7 and formed his first rock band at the age of 12 as a school boy near Bombay.
Queen is a sexually ambiguous name for a group of men. Freddie Mercury did not formally make a coming out of his own homosexuality but was to die of AIDS. He said that Jimi Hendrix "really had everything any rock 'n' roll star should have". The group operated an eccentric performance influenced by Liza Minnelli.
In 1975 Freddie Mercury intensely searched a domestic sized piano with a clear sound that would resonate with his musical ambitions. He selected a 1973 Yamaha G2 baby grand 147 x 168 x 100 cm which he placed in his small living room.
The G2 was a cheaper competitor to Steinway, with an easy keyboard action. Starting with Bohemian Rhapsody, he used it for the rest of his life, often working a full day sitting at it with a metronome to his left and a tape recorder to his right.
He maintained it pristine for improvising melodies, testing lyrics and submitting the new songs to his collaborators. He used it in 1987 to compose Barcelona with the soprano Montserrat Caballé.
The Yamaha was sold for £ 1.74M by Sotheby's on September 6, 2023, lot 44 in the sale of Freddie Mercury's collection.
Born Farrokh Bulsara to a Parsi family in Zanzibar, Freddie Mercury took piano lessons from the age of 7 and formed his first rock band at the age of 12 as a school boy near Bombay.
Queen is a sexually ambiguous name for a group of men. Freddie Mercury did not formally make a coming out of his own homosexuality but was to die of AIDS. He said that Jimi Hendrix "really had everything any rock 'n' roll star should have". The group operated an eccentric performance influenced by Liza Minnelli.
In 1975 Freddie Mercury intensely searched a domestic sized piano with a clear sound that would resonate with his musical ambitions. He selected a 1973 Yamaha G2 baby grand 147 x 168 x 100 cm which he placed in his small living room.
The G2 was a cheaper competitor to Steinway, with an easy keyboard action. Starting with Bohemian Rhapsody, he used it for the rest of his life, often working a full day sitting at it with a metronome to his left and a tape recorder to his right.
He maintained it pristine for improvising melodies, testing lyrics and submitting the new songs to his collaborators. He used it in 1987 to compose Barcelona with the soprano Montserrat Caballé.
The Yamaha was sold for £ 1.74M by Sotheby's on September 6, 2023, lot 44 in the sale of Freddie Mercury's collection.
