Craftsman makes music with wood and some strings
THE art of making a rosewood patchwork guqin, an almost lost traditional Chinese technique that dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is being revived and carried on by a father and a daughter in Songjiang District.
The guqin, a seven-string plucked instrument similar to a zither, has a history of more than 3,000 years and was listed as a world intangible cultural heritage item in 2003.
A rosewood patchwork guqin consists of a collage of rosewood timber blocks on a cedar or candlenut guqin body.
The surface is painted with Chinese lacquer, but allows the blending traces to be exposed naturally and form a brocade-like pattern.
Qi Ezhong, a Songjiang collector and ancient furniture restorer, founded a rosewood patchwork guqin studio in Shihudang Town in 2017 with his daughter, Qi Longlin.
Qi Ezhong, a craftsman with more than 20 years’ experience of refurbishing vintage furniture, said his devotion to guqin-making came about by accident.
“One day I was browsing a book on the Forbidden City guqin collection and was fascinated with a rosewood patchwork guqin in it,” he said.
“After doing some further research, I found making such a guqin was extremely difficult and treasured.”
Marveling at its superb craftsmanship, he decided to learn the skill and promote it. He traveled nationwide to look for masters.
“Seeking a master was almost fruitless at first due to the rarity of the skill, but finally I found my teacher Yin Xiaozhong in Anqing City of Anhui Province and learned the skill of patchwork guqin making from him,” said Qi Ezhong.
Tens of procedures are involved in making a patchwork guqin, from making a mould and different accessories, choosing woods, making the instrument board to installing strings, according to Qi Ezhong.
“The most difficult part, of course, is doing the patchwork. Any block with the wrong size or curve will result in crack on surface of a guqin and spoil the sound of the instrument,” he noted.
“Polishing the surface is another important procedure after we do the patchwork. A bulge or a hollow will cause a husky voice while a musician is playing,” he added.
Chopping and slashing a guqin’s interior is also difficult. One has to fully master different styles of guqin and the effects of different woods and their moisture.
In February Qi and his daughter launched a rosewood patchwork guqin exhibition at the Fangsong Subdistrict community center. More than 20 rosewood patchwork guqin were displayed.
Qi Ezhong, the sixth generation of rosewood patchwork guqin makers, and his daughter, now the seventh generation, have decided to devote themselves to the skill and promote it to further generations.