An ancient guqin, or seven-stringed zither from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has been auctioned off at a price of 3.465 million yuan (about US$417,470) in Beijing.
The sale sets a world record auction price for seven-stringed zithers, regarded as a symbol of ancient Chinese music, said sources with China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd.
According to the sources, the seven-stringed zithers from the Tang Dynasty are mostly kept by museums or private collectors and had never been seen on the market. The auctioned zither had been lost overseas in the past and then later kept by private collectors in China.
At China Guardian Auctions' two-day spring auction that ended on Sunday, the auctioneer opened bidding on the ancient Chinese musical instrument at 1.5 million yuan (about US$180,722).
(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2003)
