Xiao (簫)

Unknown

late 19th century · Bamboo · Musical Instruments

Used in Confucian ceremonies including weddings and funerals, this end blown notched flute of southeast China and Taiwan, was created by disassembling a panpipe called paixiao and placing equidistant fingerholes on each pipe. Often associated with scholars, some xiao have poems inscribed on them. The Japanese shakuhachi is said to be a descendant of the xiao, which is known as dosho in Japan.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 19th century

Medium

Bamboo

Culture

Chinese

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889