Jinghu / Di (spike tube fiddle / side-blown flute)

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Alternative Title

Jinghu.

Instrument

Jinghu ; Di

Instrument Family

Strings ; Wind

Place Made

China ; Asia

Date Made

Probably 19th century

Description

Technical description: Originally a 2 string bowed instrument; one gut string remains. Tube resonator with snake skin sound-table glued on; string attachment made from a simple wire hook hooked on to base of tube (neck does not pierce lower end of body); neck of bamboo with seven holes of varying size set along underside; cork bung set inside tube just above lower tuning peg; this instrument can be used as a flute by using the lower peg hole as a mouth hole and covering its lower opening. Qianjin marks a third of the way down the stem of the instrument. One peg, and one string missing. Decoration: Floral decoration on lower half of the neck. Performance and use: This type of instrument with its bamboo sound-box is used today to accompany Beijing opera. Specific literature references: Possibly one of the two 'Chinese fiddles', lent by Mr John Glen in Edinburgh Society of Musicians 1894, item 62 or 80, or, the 'Ye-kin and bow, Chinese', lent by Mr Robert Glen in Edinburgh Society of Musicians 1894, item 82.

Notes

P.R. Cooke, 1995.

Measurements

545.

Provenance

Purchased with assistance from the Government's Local Museums Purchase Fund and the University's General Council Trust, 1983.

Collection

MIMEd ; Glen Collection

Accession Number

1253

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