Pipa (琵琶 )

Jiu-cheng Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

The term pipa has been known since the 3rd century B.C. It originally described the playing motion of the right hand: p'i, "to play forward" (left), and p'a, "to play backward" (right). In addition to its use in the opera and in story telling ensembles, the pipa has a solo repertoire of highly programmatic, virtuosic music.

#Demonstration of a modern pipa by Wu Man, 2016. "White Snow in Spring."

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Pipa (琵琶 ), Jiu-cheng, Wood, ivory, bone, gut, Chinese

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