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Download Greenlee speaks about this ancient Chinese musical instrument, a Lithophone. (1.2 MB)
Description
This inverted L-shaped stone, gold accenting its design and calligraphy, was meant to be struck with a wooden mallet during imperial musical rituals at the Temple of Agriculture in the Chinese capital. Originally one in a set of 12 chimes—for the 12 lunar months—each stone had a distinct pitch, tuned to reflect a mathematical relationship with the celestial world. 18th Century
Publication Date
4-25-2014
Publisher
RISD Museum
City
Providence, Rhode Island
Keywords
Rhode Island School of Design Museum; Chinese;lithophone; musical instrument; ritual; Temple of Agriculture; pitch; lunar months
Disciplines
Other Music
Recommended Citation
RISD Museum and Greenlee, Shawn, "Lithophone" (2014). Channel. 15.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdmuseum_channel/15