"Da Sheng Yi Yin" Guqin
The guqin, also called the seven-stringed zither, is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. The oldest guqin existing today can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty.
This one, dating back to the mid-Tang Dynasty, derived its name from four Chinese characters "大圣遺音" in cursive script on its body, pronounced as "Da Sheng Yi Yin", literally meaning "Musical Legacy of the Sage".
The surface of the guqin, made of paulownia wood, resembles a bow, painted with chestnut-colored lacquer, with black in between. Some parts were slightly repaired with vermilion lacquer.
The round hole and the oblong hole on the back were designed for sound diffusion, which are called longchi (dragon's pond) and fengzhao (phoenix's pool), respectively. The guqin also carries inscriptions that translate to "As the autumn wind blows in the giant gully and the moon is reflected on the cold river, the melodic sound of the guqin breaks the silence".
This musical instrument was formerly stored in the southern warehouse in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the emperor stored his treasures.
After the last emperor Puyi moved out of the Forbidden City, the committee responsible for handling the aftermath of the Qing court discovered that after years of neglect, the roof of the southern warehouse was leaking on rainy days. For this reason, a layer of scale condensed on the surface of the guqin, making it dilapidated and almost unfunctional.
In 1947, the Palace Museum invited famous guqin expert Guan Pinghu to repair it. After months of efforts, the instrument was restored. When Guan tried it after the repair, the guqin produced a clear and melodious sound.
The ancient Chinese believed that an excellent guqin had "nine virtues"—being unique, ancient, clear, smooth, tranquil, harmonious, balanced, pure, and fragrant. These qualities together provide a perfect, pleasing auditory experience. However, few had all nine virtues. The "Da Sheng Yi Yin" guqin stands out among its counterparts for owning all of them.
“大圣遺音”琴
古琴又稱七弦琴，是中國傳統樂器之一。現存傳世最早的古琴流傳自唐代。
“大圣遺音”琴是中唐時期古琴。桐木做成，琴面如弓，栗殼色漆，間有黑色，局部略有朱漆修補。背面圓孔和扁長圓孔，用于散音，叫作龍池、鳳沼。此面還刻有草書“大圣遺音”，以及銘文“巨壑迎秋，寒江印月。萬籟悠悠，孤桐颯裂”。
此琴原藏于皇帝的珍品庫養心殿南庫。溥儀出宮后，清室善后委員會發現因南庫年久失修漏雨，琴面上凝結了一層水銹，琴色灰白，破敗不堪。直至1947年，故宮博物院邀請著名古琴家管平湖前來修理數月后，“大圣遺音”琴才恢復原有神采。管平湖將琴修好后曾試彈，琴音清脆松透，音質極佳。
古人認為最好的琴音具有九德，即奇、古、透、潤、靜、圓、勻、清、芳九個特點，給人完美悅耳的聽覺享受。具備“九德”的琴少有，但“大圣遺音”琴“九德”兼具，是傳世古琴中的至品。
