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1. Group of Musicians
Excavated in Xiuan, Shaanxi Province, in 1995
Tang dynasty, 618 - 906CE
Earthenware
height 11 x 11.5 cm

Group of Musicians

The upper classes in the Tang dynasty enjoyed a life of luxury and leisure. Lavish banquets enlivened by music and dance.

This group of male musicians in loose-fitting informal dress and scarf caps probably accompanied a group of dancers. The instruments are the four-stringed lute, pipa; the upright mouth organ, sheng; the transverse flute, the pan flute, the clapper, and the small harp.

National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing


Detail: Flute player

Detail: The clapper

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