The Siru Series of Guqin is a collection of high-quality guqins introduced by Master Wang Peng at Juntian Fang, each named after the concepts "Xiru, Chunru, Jiaoru, and Yiru." These names are derived from the musical philosophy found in the Analects of Confucius and represent different musical aesthetic concepts. To commemorate this, he invited the calligrapher Fei Weng to inscribe these names on the guqin models. Each name represents a unique aspect of music, embodying the depth and elegance of traditional Chinese musical aesthetics.
The names of the Siru Series not only reflect the different characteristics of the guqin in terms of timbre and expressiveness but also demonstrate Master Wang Peng’s profound understanding of guqin making and his pursuit of traditional musical aesthetics. These guqins cater to different styles and levels of guqin enthusiasts, providing diverse choices for performers.
Features of the Siru Guqin:
- Materials and Craftsmanship: The Siru Guqin is crafted using high-quality aged cedar wood for the soundboard and catalpa wood for the backboard. The wood has undergone years of natural drying to ensure the instrument's resonance and tone are at their best. The connection between the soundboard and backboard is meticulously crafted to guarantee the stability of the instrument and the purity of its sound quality.
- Sound Quality: The Siru Guqin has an elegant and rich tone, with a deep and powerful bass, mellow and bright mid-tones, and clear and bright high tones. The sound quality is well-layered, expressive, and suitable for playing various guqin pieces.
- Design: In terms of appearance, the Siru Guqin retains the classic shape of traditional guqins while incorporating modern aesthetics of simplicity and elegance. The surface often features intricate carvings or lacquer paintings, showcasing the cultural connotations and aesthetic value of the guqin art.
- Feel: The string spacing and feel of the Siru Guqin are carefully designed to ensure moderate tension, providing a comfortable touch for the player. This facilitates technique performance and sound control during playing.
- Suitability: The Siru Guqin is suitable for guqin enthusiasts of different levels, including professional performers and hobbyists. It can be used as a performance instrument as well as a collectible-grade piece.
Xiru -- Zhongni (Confucius) Style
Product Name: Xiru -- Zhongni (Confucius) Style Style
Brand: Juntian Fang
Sires: Siru Sires
Category: Guqin
Material: Chinese Fir Wood
Style: The "Zhongni Style" (仲尼式), also known as the "Fuzi Style" (夫子式), is a classic and exemplary form among traditional Guqin styles.It is historically attributed to Confucius (Kǒngzǐ), the ancient Chinese philosopher, educator, and founder of the Confucian school of thought. Legend holds that Confucius studied the qín under Master Xiang, and later developed a qín model that reflected his ideals, standardizing its form. The style he is credited with creating was thus named the "Zhongni Style," using his courtesy name.This style is characterized by distinctive squared, angular recesses at both the neck (xiàng) and waist (yāo) sections. Its shape is simple, concise, and unadorned, while its sound is described as clear, elegant, and perfectly balanced (zhōngzhèng). Due to its intrinsic Confucian aesthetic (rú fēng qìxiàng), the "Zhongni Style" is the most commonly seen form among famous Guqins that have survived through the centuries.However, because the proportional relationships between the forehead, neck, shoulder, waist, and tail of this style demand such extremely high precision, a truly superb example remains difficult to acquire.