An ancient qin that can still give life to old melodies, is to go on the block this Sunday at one of the major spring auctions of Chinese art in Beijing.

The 700-year-old instrument, widely known as Longyin Huxiao (chanting dragon, roaring tiger), is especially famous because it was allegedly made by Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), one of the greatest artists in the history of China. Qin, a seven-stringed zither, is arguably the oldest Chinese plucked instrument.

But few people have had the chance to see it as it has been in the collection of a Chinese scholar, who wants to remain anonymous. He is himself a master of the qin.

Zheng Minzhong, a researcher with the Palace Museum and an expert on the qin, played the ancient instrument last month at the 600-year-old Temple of White Pagodas in Beijing and praised it as being the most well-preserved qin of the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.

Renowned musicians Wu Zhao, Gong Yi, Li Xiangting and Chen Changlin also played the instrument at the temple.

All of them said they were so excited that they hardly dared touch the legendary instrument, and were impressed by its "excellent tonal quality," according to Gong Yi.

So now, all eyes are on Chanting Dragon, Roaring Tiger, which is to go under the hammer at the spring auction of Rongbao Auction House, an affiliate of the 300-year-old art emporium Rongbaozhai, on Sunday at the Asia Hotel in Beijing.

Some expect it will bring a record price for a Chinese qin. The current record price for a qin was paid for the 1,000-year-old Dasheng Yiyin (Music Left by the Saint).

The qin was part of the well-known Lisongju Collection of renowned scholar and researcher Wang Shixiang and his late wife Yuan Quanyou, a scholar and artist in her own right.

It was auctioned for 8.91 million yuan (US$1,073,000) last November at the autumn auction of the China Guardian Auction House.

Another famous qin auctioned in recent years was the 1,000-year-old Jiuxiao Huanpei (Heavenly Jade), which was sold for 3.46 million yuan (US$417,000) by China Guardian last July.

A classical qin, which embodies such traditional Chinese art forms as poetry, calligraphy, painting, seal carving, and lacquer, is the product of a history of more than 3,000 years of development, said Wang Wei, a spokesperson for Rongbao Auction House.

Qin, chess, calligraphy and painting were the traditional "Four Skills" demanded of a scholar, and famous qins have therefore been treasured by intellectuals.

The Chanting Dragon, Roaring Tiger, made by Zhao Mengfu, was passed on by his descendants to Ni Yunlin (1306-74), who was respected as one of the four greatest painters of the Yuan Dynasty, said Wang.

After Ni's death, his sons returned it to the Zhao family. But its subsequent owners have kept their anonymity.

At the temple, where the qin was on display, it was noted that it is finished in black lacquer, with the exception of a few brown patches where the lacquer has been worn away as the result of the repetitive touch of fingers and sleeves.

It is 122 centimeters long, 19 centimeters wide at one end and 14 at the other. On its back, four characters carved in clerical script read: Longyin, Huxiao.

Beneath the characters is an inlaid piece of jade. Zheng Minzhong said the instrument is made of wood from the Chinese parasol tree that has been bored by insects.

This kind of wood with holes bored in it by insects was long regarded as the best material for qin. He said five characters are carved inside the instrument: Songxue Daoren Zhi (made by the Daoist Priest of Pine and Snow), Zhao Mengfu's nickname.

When plucked the instrument emits a crystal sound like the clinking of jades. The sound was typical of the Zhang Yue style of qin.

This style of qin, which originated with Zhang Yue, a master qin-maker of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), was noted for its small size and crystal sound.

Zheng said he has never seen a qin made by Zhang himself, and the one made by Zhao is the only Song instrument of this style that he has ever seen.

(China Daily May 14, 2004)