Querying the Essence of a Musical Instrument: Song Dynasty qin ming Writings

Abstract This article explores the Song dynasty ming 銘 inscriptions on the qin 琴, a seven-stringed zither revered in Chinese cultural tradition, to examine how literati inscribed cultural values, personal identity, and aesthetic ideals onto this musical instrument. Rooted in epigraphic traditions, ming inscriptions historically served as commemorative and moralizing texts etched onto various materials. In the Northern Song, the practice flourished among the literati, who extended it to objects of refined taste including the qin . The qin served not merely as a musical instrument, but also as a symbol of classicism, moral cultivation, and friendship, embodying ideals of music as a harmonizing force among individuals, society, and the cosmos. By analyzing extant qin and anthologized inscriptions, this study investigates how the qin ’s materiality and symbolism shaped the ming compositions, and conversely, how the genre of ming influenced the perception and value of the qin . Special attention is given to the writings of Zhu Xi and Huang Tingjian, whose inscriptions elevate the qin to a music relic of high antiquity and a symbol of literati identity. Through this lens, the article interrogates the reciprocal relationship between writing, music, and objecthood in literati culture, positioning the qin as an artifact and an active participant in Song intellectual and aesthetic discourse.