An extraordinary black-lacquered Confucius-style guqin, Song dynasty | 宋 黑漆仲尼式琴

Pu Jin (1893 - 1966).

Zou Langxian (1887 - 1967), acquired from the above, and thence by descent.

Tang Liangxing, acquired in 1980s.

來源：

愛新覺羅·溥伒（1893 - 1966）

鄒閬仙（1887 - 1967），得自上者，後由家人傳承

湯良興，得於1980年代

With the neck and waist slightly bent inward, tail wide open, and the top panel of the upper soundboard shaped smoothly, the present guqin recalls the typical Song-dynasty style of the so-called Songbian (Song flatness). The technique used to stabilize the two panels is unveiled by the bamboo pins when one investigates the guqin from the base. This craftmanship of the double-paneled soundboard firstly was found in the Tang dynasty, flourished in the Song dynasty, evidenced by a large portion of such guqin being dated to this period, and gradually lost its popularity in the Ming dynasty.

A Tang-dynasty example, the Dragon's Moan, is housed in the Freer Gallery of Art, see Yang Yuanzheng, Dragon’s Roar, Chinese Literati Musical Instruments in the Freer and Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 2020, pp 62-63. There are a few comparable Song-dynasty guqin of this type, for example, the Shuangzhong guqin in the collection of Zha Fuxi, illustrated in Xu Jian ed, Zhongguo minjian guqin diancang, Beijing, 2013, pl. 4; the Heli qingxiao guqin in the collection of the Tainan University of the Arts, illustrated in The Ancient Chinese Zither (Qia), Taipei, 2000, pp 70-71; the Daya guqin in the collection of Pan Zhenhua, published in Wu Zhao, Zhongguo guqin zhencui, Beijing, 1998, pl. 39. See also the Song-dynasty guqin Bajiyin in the collection of Lo Ka-ping, illustrated in Xu Jian ed., ibid, pl. 7 The shoulder of the Bajiyin guqin slightly tilts up, marking the characteristic of the late Southern Song period, whereas the present guqin retains the moderate manner of the earlier period. 

Compare further the Qingjiao yiyin guqin dated to the Song dynasty, in the collection of Cheng Kuan, with similar overall form and treatment to the neck and waist, published in Zhongguo yinyue wenwu Shanxi juan, Shijiazhuang, 2000, p 118; see also the Song-dynasty Songyu guqin made in the first year of the Jingkang reign in the collection of the Sichuan Museum, published in Wu Zhao, ibid, pl. 52. Two flatter guqin in the Chongqing Sanxia Museum dated to the Song dynasty, one made by Wei Zhongzheng of the Northern Song dynasty, and the other one named Songshi jianyi, with related flowing curves of the shoulder and waist, and similar condition of the crackles, illustrated in Fine Guqin Collections from Bashu Area, Beijing, 2015, pp 23 & 29.

仲尼式，雙層面板，黑髹，鹿角徽灰，漫發小蛇腹斷，金徽，肩起兩徽半，腰收八徽三及十一徽，長方形龍池、鳳藻，龍池邊緣鑲湘妃竹，硬木岳山、軫足。聲極鬆透均勻。

此琴為典型「宋扁」之態，項腰微收，焦尾坦闊，面板平緩，然毫無拍面之虞。琴木色泛金黃，內窺池藻可見雙層面板局部鬆脫處有竹釘固定，可知其合板工藝。雙層面板工藝見於唐代，存世雙層面板古琴實物以宋代居多，而明代已較少見。唐代雙層面板實例參見美國弗利爾美術館藏之「枯木龍吟」琴， 見楊元錚著，《龍吟 ：弗利爾與賽克勒館藏中國文人樂器》，華盛頓，2020年，頁62-63。宋代雙層面板琴可比較査阜西舊藏之「霜鐘」，見許健編，《中國民間古琴典藏》，北京，2013年，編號4；及台南藝術學院藏「鶴唳清霄」琴，見《古琴紀事圖錄》，台北，2000年，頁70-71；更有潘振華舊藏之「大雅」琴，見吳釗編，《中國古琴珍萃》，北京，1998年，編號39；還可比較香港盧家炳先生舊藏宋代「八極引」琴，為雙層面板，且以竹釘固定，然「八極引」琴肩部微聳，為南宋晚期特點，本琴則肩起舒緩，時代應較早之，見許健編，前書，編號7。

另可參考程寬所藏宋代「清角遺音」琴，其整體形態及項、腰之處理與本琴頗似，見《中國音樂文物·山西卷》，石家莊，2000年，頁118；四川博物館藏宋代靖康元年造「誦餘」琴亦資參考，見吳釗編前書，編號52。重慶三峽博物院藏北宋衛中正製琴及「松石間意」琴與本琴形制，特別是較為扁平之身形，舒緩的起肩與收腰，乃至斷紋狀態，與本琴皆相呼應，見《松石間意：巴蜀地區典藏古琴精品集》，北京，2015年，頁23及29。

Tang Liangxing: A Life Woven Through Strings

Tang Liangxing (b. 1948) was born into the well-known Tang family band in Shanghai, which specialised in traditional Chinese silk and bamboo music. He started learning the erhu at the age of seven, switched to the pipa at twelve, and was admitted to the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra School a year later. At the age of fourteen, he began studying guqin under the guidance of the respected master Zhang Ziqian (1899 - 1991).

Tang’s family placed great emphasis on traditional education and arts from an early age. His artistic achievements can be attributed to his perseverance, rigorous training, and the guidance he received from his mentors. In 1962, Zhang noted in his diary, "Tang Liangxing, at fifteen, originally a pipa student, excels in his studies and now begins to study the guqin under my guidance. With his evident talent, I anticipate his successful mastery." This marked the start of Tang’s deep relationship with the guqin, which later inspired him to create several popular pipa compositions such as "Three Variations on the Plum Blossom" (Meihua sannong) and "The Drunken Madman" (Jiu kuang).

In his middle age, Tang moved to the United States for further studies and devoted himself to promoting Chinese music. He held numerous solo pipa concerts worldwide, participated in diverse musical events, and delivered countless lectures at universities. His efforts were recognized in 1993 when he received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, personally congratulated by President Bill Clinton.

After spending decades abroad, Tang was invited to teach at Tainan University of the Arts, where he spent twenty years mentoring the next generation of Chinese musicians. Returning to Shanghai in his seventies, he continued to share his artistry and experience on various stages and in music academies.

Tang describes himself as a "free-spirited wandering musician." Despite living in many places around the world, he feels enriched by his experiences, especially in music, which he believes transcends material wealth. His music resonates with vitality and simplicity, reflecting his sincere and generous personality. His integrity and charm have won over audiences and earned him respect from peers and mentors alike.

Among the treasures in Tang's collection of antique musical instruments are two qins, previously owned by Zou Langxian (1887 - 1967), the last chief musician of the Qing dynasty court band. One of these qins, the present lot, was acquired through an exchange with guqin master and princely artist, Pu Jin (1893 - 1966). These instruments have weathered over a century of upheaval and their preservation is considered remarkably fortunate. Tang regards the safeguarding of these historical instruments as both a mission and a responsibility bestowed by time. He believes that although individual collections may be transient in the grand sweep of history, they play a vital role in enriching the broader narrative of China’s cultural heritage.

湯良興的時光與音樂之旅

湯良興出生於滬上歷史悠久之家族絲竹樂團「湯家班」。七歲習二胡，十二歲學琵琶，十三歲考入上海民族樂團附設學館，十四歲兼修古琴，幸得今虞廣陵泰斗張子謙先生親授。湯先生家學豐厚，幼學札實,其藝術成就則源自從小的堅靱意志、刻苦精神與老師們的栽培。

1962年張子謙先生在日記中寫道：「學生湯良興年十五歲，原學琵琶，成績甚優，今起從我兼學琴。天資聰穎預計不難成就。」（摘自張子謙先生《操縵瑣記》卷十之四五九頁末至四六零頁）。這是湯良興接觸古琴之緣起，之後數十年裡，湯先生與古琴結下了深厚的情誼。他創作了源自琴曲的《梅花三弄》、《酒狂》、《憶故人》、《普庵咒》等琵琶曲，深得觀眾喜愛，並當面受到張子謙老師的讚美與鼓勵。

人近中年的湯良興赴美深造，不遺餘力地傳播中國音樂，在世界各地舉辦琵琶獨奏會、參演各類音樂會和大學講學數千場。張學良曾親筆為其題詩「此曲只應天上有，人間能得幾回聞」。因表彰其對美國多元文化的傑出貢獻，湯良興於1993年榮獲克林頓總統等親筆寫信恭賀——獲頒美國國家藝術基金會之美國國家遺產獎。之後受邀到台南藝術大學中國音樂系執教二十年，培養成就了不少國樂精英。古稀之年，他回到故里上海，在各大舞臺與音樂學院繼續煥發著其藝術上的光彩與活力。

湯先生古道熱腸，有著千金散盡還復來的豪情。他稱己是「自由自在的流浪音樂家」，雖然漂泊半生四海為家，他還是常說自己是富足的，至少在精神上，音樂是不窮苦的。在他的琴聲中我們可以感覺到有一種浩然之氣、純樸之風，更有一顆赤子之心的情懷。他的品格與魅力，不僅打動了無數觀眾，也深深受到了先輩大師們的關注與喜愛。湯先生在音樂旅程中收藏的這兩張寶藏琴器，傳自清末最後一代內廷樂師總領班閬仙先生的品玩收藏的寶器之精品。閬仙先生是清宮內𨑳的國樂大師，並與清宮宗室皇親溥雪齋先生過從甚密，有著音樂的同喜共好之友情，這其中就有溥氏與閬仙先生相互贈琴並轉徑收藏的古琴。

歷經了一個多世紀的戰火與動盪，這兩件歷史的寶器終於完好無損地保存下來，實屬琴界之幸事。湯先生說，這是時代賦予的我們的使命與責任，但在歷史的傳承中，任何個人的收藏都是長河中短暫的瞬間，它們終將歸屬中國整體的歷史與文化。先生對琴甚是惜之、愛之、護之、才能如今得以傳之，收藏半生，終得問世，何其珍貴。