Artist: unknown
Title: Musical instrument, Biwa
Material: wood, ivory, shell inlay, silk strings and polychrome on
leather
Site: Shoso-in at the Todai-ji, Nara Japan (Probably an import from
China)
Current Location: Shoso-in at the Todai-ji, Nara Japan
Period/Date: Tang Dynasty Prior to 756.
Iconography/Iconology: stringed musical instrument
Stylistic Comments: This musical instrument is particularly important
for the study of Chinese painting, as the leather plectrum guard, behind
the strings, contains one of the few attested landscape paintings from the
mid eighth century, done in the Tang style. This biwa has been in Shoso-in
since the empress, Kyomyo, gave Emperor Shomu's personal effects to the
Todai-ji monastery after his death in 756. This makes the painting one of
the few absolutely certain Tang dynasty imperial painting known.
