Northern China
Chinese

Wood, python skin, nylon strings (replacements)
ca. 19th century
Length: 46 in
Chordophones – Lutes

The sanxian is a three-stringed fretless plucked lute of the Han Chinese. It has a long rosewood fingerboard neck, while the body is made from python skin stretched over the front and back of the resonator.  The lower end of the neck passes through a squarish resonator with rounded corners to create a small tail stud.  It is made in several sizes and this northern sanxian (@46 in) is the larger version, while southern versions (@37 in) are the smaller version.  The three strings hold a short bridge against the snakeskin sound table and are usually tuned to intervals of a 4^th (between the low and middle string) and a 5^th (between the middle and high string).  This sanxian from north China is the principal accompanying instrument of the dagushu narrative song.  An important instrument for song accompaniment during the Yuan and Ming periods (c14th to early 17^th centuries), the sanxian was subsequently introduced into Japan (shamisen) and the Ryukyu Islands – Okinawa (sanshin).   Popularity of the sanxian continues today.

Resource: “Sanxian” – Alan R. Thrasher/Gloria N. Wong; ‘The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, ‘second edition; Laurence Libin, Editor in Chief.