China: Ceramic figurine of a pipa player, Sui Dynasty (589-618 CE)

The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12 to 26. Another Chinese four-string plucked lute is the liuqin, which looks like a smaller version of the pipa.

The pipa is one of the most popular Chinese instruments and has been played for almost two thousand years in China.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Pratyeka

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Pictures From History