Se (瑟 )
Fanfu Lou (Seal of Zha Youci) Chinese
Said to represent friendship and love when played together with the qin, the se, with its movable bridges, is plucked with both hands. This technique, unusual for Asian zithers, permits the player to sound the strings in octaves. Twenty-five multicolored silk strings reflect Chinese cosmology: five are blue, for Heaven, the Azure Dragon of the East; five are red, the luckiest color, associated with the South; four are yellow, for the Earth; the bridgeless white string is not played and symbolizes the West, space, and mourning; five are purple, an imperial color; and five are black, for the North. Se, such as this one from a Taoist temple, were used in rituals and at state ceremonies. Here, inscriptions indicate both the maker, Fanfu Lou, and the owner: "Treasure collection [of] Monk Xinzhu."
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