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Women and the Guqin 1

女琴家 Women playing qin 2

Today there are many more female than male qin players. In addition, a number of the earliest surviving paintings that show the qin feature them with women, court ladies in particular.3 Such evidence suggests that, although imperial-era literature on the qin strongly evokes a male tradition overwhelmingly dominated by men,4 it seems quite likely that the reality was very much in contrast with this stereotype. Literati paintings do usually depict male players, but the men depicted usually seem more interested in the qin philosophy than in the music. In contrast, paintings that depict women with qin generally seem to show them actually playing.5 There is some evidence, particularly from novels and operas, that qin songs were particularly popular with women. Quite possibly such songs were less fixed and thus less likely than instrumental melodies to be written down (and thus codified). This is perhaps one of the reasons why Qinqu Jicheng was able to include only one handbook attributed to a woman, Sizhaitang Qinpu.6 The woman who compiled it is said to have created the only qin song in the handbook, Heartfelt Words on Going Through Bitterness.7 A number of publications, mostly recent, discuss the role and the activities of women during the Ming dynasty, showing them to have been very active in the fields of poetry and fine art,8 but there has been little work done on women as qin players.9 Was the motivation of the women players different from that of the men? Was their number sufficient to form a market significant for the publication of qin handbooks? How important was their patronage (or that of their families) on the financial support of qin masters? A study of these questions could reflect much on how the philosophical ideals played out in society.10 The page called Qin Biographies has links to various collections of qin biographies (including two from one source and one called "other"). These altogether include about 700 biographical entries. About 10% of these were women players. On this site the biographies of these women players can be found listed in two groups, called Early and Late;11 many of the biographies include poetry they wrote. The poetry collection in Qinshu Daquan includes several poems by women about the qin,12 and it has a number of fables about women and qin.13 Several stories in the Lienü Zhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Women) concern the qin. Qin melodies with themes related to women include the following (for those without links my reconstruction is not yet completed). Da Hujia (Nomad Reed Pipe, Long Version; 1425); Cai Wenji is abducted by nomads; a melodically unrelated version called Hujia Shibapai, published in 1597, is set to the lyrics attributed to Wenji herself. Xiao Hujia (Nomad Reed Pipe, Short Version; 1425) Same theme as Da Hujia (see previous item) Longshuo Cao (Melody of the North; 1425) Wang Zhaojun is married off to nomads; also called Lament of Zhaojun Huangyun Qiusai (Yellow Clouds of Autumn on the Frontier; 1425) Later versions also connect this melody to Wang Zhaojun Chu Ge (Song of Chu; 1425) Xiang Yu loses both the war and his concubine Yu Ji Guan Ju (Call of the Osprey; 1491) and Guan Ju Qu (1511) Courtship poem(s) from the Classic of Poetry (Shi Jing) Xiangfei Yuan (Lament of the Xiang River Concubines; 1511) A lament sung by two concubines of legendary emperor Shun Cangwu Yuan (Cangwu Lament; 1549) Same theme as previous; with Jiao Yi and Mengji Yin Wenjun Cao (Wenjun Melody; 1539) The poet Sima Xiangru uses the qin to seduce Zhuo Wenjun Feng Qiu Huang (A Male Phoenix Searches for his Mate; 1549) Same theme as Wenjun Cao (see previous item) Dao Yi (Beating the Clothing; 1539) A woman sings of her husband on the frontier Yanyi Ge (Doorbar Song; 1549) The wife of minister Baili Xi confronts him with song Xue Chuang Ye Hua (Evening Talk by a Snowy Window; 1549) Xie Daoyun's description of snow pleases her uncle, Xie An Hangong Qiu (Autumn in the Han Palace; 1549) Ban Jieyu compares herself to a fan discarded in autumn Lienü Yin (Exemplary Woman Prelude; 1549) Fan Ji is happy when her husband, King Zhuang of Chu, listens to her advice Xianpei Ying Fen (Fairy Jade Facing the Wind; 1549) Jiao Fu of Zheng meets two Han River nymphs Xiang Si Qu (Melody of Mutual Affection, also called Gu Qin Yin; 1585) A female ghost complains to (or about) Su Dongpo Baitou Yin (Intonation on Gray Hair; 1618) Wenjun complains that as they get old Sima Xiangru looks for another woman Fenghuangtaishang Yi Chui Xiao (On Phoenix Terrace Thinking of Flute Playing; ca. 1676) Lyrics by 李清照 Li Qingzhao (1084 - ca. 1151) recall her missing lover Ziye Wu Ge (Wu Song of Zi-ye; preserved in Japan) Lyrics by 李白 Li Bai, but perhaps intended to be in the voice of Lady Zi-ye

Several of these have lyrics by or attributed to women. The only qin melody clearly attributed to a woman seems to be

In addition, the following might also connect to stories about women:

1. Guanghan You (Wandering in the Lunar Palace; 1425)
   Later operas of this title tell a story of Tang emperor Minghuang and his beautiful concubine Yang Guifei
2. Guanghan Qiu (Autumn in the Lunar Palace; 1425)
   An opera of this title tells the story of the goddess Chang E

1. Women and the Guqin
This has not yet been presented as a specific program.
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2. Women playing the qin (Popular art; compare early literati art and see a Wu Wei painting)
The lower of the images above is discussed elsewhere. The upper image is from a Jingdezhen ceramic painting. Notice that in the upper image the qin itself is anatomically incorrect (the strings in particular). Many of the examples I have seen from popular art have such mistakes, showing that the artists may have been familiar with ideas about the qin but were not familiar with the instrument itself. Thus, although such illustrations of women playing the qin backwards may be associated with ignorance on the part of the artist, it is ignorance of artistic convention as well as of the physical qin, and perhaps it is also evidence that many women actually did play. To understand this better it would be useful to do a closer study of women in Ming and Qing dynasty qin societies.

The inscription on the upper left of the top figure says the piece was painted in the summer of 1980 while living at Zhushan (in Jingdezhen). Of the three seals, two seem just to be symbols, the bottom one is 寧 Ning, perhaps the name of the artist. Here is the full inscription:

Thanks to Sun Xiaoqing for deciphering the seals and inscription.
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3. Early depictions of ladies and the qin (compare popular art)

Detail from "Court Ladies"

From the literati tradition there are a number of early paintings of women and the qin. The first example mentioned here apparently dates from the latter Song dynasty. Examples prior to this often seem to depict what are said to be "court ladies". Early depictions include:

1. 蔡文姬 Cai Wenji with her qin
   From a modern copy of a scroll originating in the Song dynasty
2. 周昉，調琴啜茗圖 Zhou Fang (ca. 800), Court Lady Tuning a Qin
   Original is in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City
3. 使名，仿周文矩宮中圖 Anon. (12th c., Court Ladies in the style of Zhou Wenju (10th c.)
   Original is in the Cleveland Museum of Art (see detail at right)

Such paintings also depict women playing other instruments at social gatherings, as well as engaging in other activities. Some of the depictions survive only in later copies.
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4. Guqin: for men only?
Although there was a trend in literature to speak of the qin as an instrument played by men, there never seems to have been a prohibition against women players. The closest to this is perhaps in the sets of rules in certain handbooks stating when and for whom not to play qin. Regarding the rule not to play 對娼妓 "for courtesans", Van Gulik (Lore, p. 63) had the following to say.

It is true that courtesan is a very elastic term, but considered in the light of the general principles there can be no doubt that it was meant to be interpreted very strictly. In practice, however, we find that this rule is made to apply only to the lowest kind of courtesan. Singing girls who brighten literary gathers on old paintings are seen playing the qin, and novels cite qin playing as one of the accomplishements of the perfect courtesan.

The following footnote has examples of literati depictions of women qin players.
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5. Further depictions of women playing the qin
Folk art images of qin players, such as the image at top, seem most commonly to show women; note the comment above about mistakes. Further images from the Ming and Qing literati tradition include the following:

1. Chen Hongshou: A Scholar Instructing Girl Pupils in the Arts (Berkeley Art Museum)
   The scholar is removing his qin from its case
2. Chen Hongshou, Lady Playing the Qin (撫琴圖, source not clear)
   As is common with depictions of men, the lady is not actually playing
3. Gai Qi, Playing in the Shade of a Pine Tree (松蔭調絃圖; Japanese site: sold at Sotheby's in 2002)
   In this 1819 painting Gai Qi (改琦; 1774-1829) depicts the woman actually playing

Chen Hongshou (陳洪綬; 1598-1652; Wiki) was perhaps the most notable literati painter to depict women playing the qin.
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6. 思齊堂琴譜 Sizhaitang Qinpu (1620; IX.1)
This handbook, compiled by 崇昭王妃鍾氏 Ms. Zhong, a concubine of Prince Zhao of Chong (8330.xxx), is the only handbook by a woman indexed in Zha Fuxi's Guide. Its main section has 12 melodies; these include the only version of three, the earliest version of at least two, and versions of seven from earlier handbooks. There is no commentary on any of these melodies. There is a preface by Ms. Zhong herself and an afterword by 儀賓劉東聚 "Ceremonial Companion" Liu Dongju (Bio/xxx). After this the book appends a melody called Li Ku Zhong Yan, by Ms. Zhong herself. This appendix begins with a preface by 沈應聞 Shen Yingwen (Bio/xxx). After the song is 南京尚寶寺卿吳興李樂頓首謹跋 an afterword by Li Ledun (Bio/xxx; 15829.xxx ;"李東 Li Dong"?; Bio/xxx) of Wuxing (Zhejiang, north of Hangzhou?). Li Ku Zhong Yan, the only one of the 13 melodies with lyrics, is a song Ms. Zhong is said to have composed herself.

Sizhaitang Qinpu includes its 13 melodies as follows:

1. 洞天春曉 Dongtian Chunxiao (18 sections; from 1602; IX/17)
2. 圯橋進履 Yi Qiao Jin Lü (7; from 1539; IX/27)
3. 鷗鷺忘機 Oulu Wang Ji (3; earliest surviving example of the modern version; IX/29)
4. 秋思 Qiu Si (8; earliest of 3; IX/31)
5. 秋月昭茅亭 Qiu Yue Zhao Maoting (12; only here - unrelated to 1425; IX/34)
6. 靜樂吟 Jing Yue Yin (1; only here; IX/40)
7. 蒼梧怨 Cangwu Yuan (15; from 1549; IX/41)
8. 碧玉吟 Biyu Yin (5; only here - unrelated to Biyu Yi; IX/46)
9. 漁歌 Yu Ge (18; from 1549; IX/49)
10. 渭濱吟 Weibin Yin (14; from 1539; IX/57)
11. 漢宮秋 Han Gong Qiu (14; from 1589; IX/58)
12. 水龍吟 Shui Long Yin (4; from 1589; IX/64)
13. 歷苦衷言 Li Ku Zhong Yan (22; only here; IX/71); her own composition (see below)

Zha Fuxi's list of unpublished handbooks also has several attributed to women, but he says these were handcopies having only material already published elsewhere.
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7. Heartfelt Words on Going Through Bitterness (歷苦衷言 Li Ku Zhong Yan; 22 verses)
This qin song by 崇昭王妃鍾氏 Ms. Zhong, a concubine of Prince Zhao of Chong (8330.xxx), survives only in her own handbook (1620; see QQJC IX/71). The autobiographical lyrics include a vow to be a chaste widow. The tuning/mode is 黃鐘調 huangzhong diao (1 3 5 6 1 2 3 ). It is probably not coincidental that this mode has also been used for other songs by women lamenting their fate, most famously Hujia Shibapai.

8. Relevant books and articles include the following:

1. Chang, Kang-i Sun and Saussy, Haun: Women Writers of Traditional China, An Anthology of Poetry and Criticism. Stanford, Stanford U. Press, 1999.
2. Gerritsen, Anne: "The Many Guises of Xiaoluan: The Legacy of a Girl Poet in Late Imperial China", in Journal of Women's History, Volume 17, Number 2, 2005, pp. 38-61.
3. Idema, Wilt and Grant, Beata: The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China. Cambridge, Ma., Harvard University Asia Center, 2004.
4. Soulliere, Ellen, "Imperial Women in the History of the Ming Dynasty", in Barbara Garlick, Suzanne Dixon and Pauline Allen (ed.), Stereotypes of Women in Power. New York, Greenwood Press, 1992. (Soulliere's Ph.D. dissertation at Princeton, 1990, was on the same subject.)
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9. No publications to report at present.
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10. Here is a relevant quote from Dr. Lily Xiao Hong Lee (personal communication):

See also her commentary with Xue Chuang Ye Hua.
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11. The sources are:

• Early (25 entries)
  QSDQ, Folio 15 (Folio 14 has no women): 13 entries, with links added here to the biographies in Qin Shi; in addition, links have been added at the end to the 12 women player entries from Qin Shi Bu, so as to have all the early women's biographies in one place. Further regarding these two sources:

  Qin Shi (its 13 entries were all spread out, so for reference they are here indexed by entry number at the end, or for convenience you can see them in QSDQ, Folio 15, which gathers them all together (entries 74 - 85).
  Qin Shi Bu (the 12 entries were grouped together, but since the list was not as inclusive as in QSDQ they are here all linked from Folio 15)

• Late (46 entries)
  Qin Shi Xu (all together).
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12. Other poems by women mentioning the qin can be found in:

• Folio 19B #103,
• Folio 20B #35,
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13. Fables mentioning women and the qin are included in:

• Folio 17 (e.g., see #3, #6, #9, and #38).
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