Dan nguyet; Vietnam, 19th century.

Dan nguyet; Vietnam, 19th century.
Wood and mother of pearl.
Damaged.
Measurements: 100 x 36 x 9 cm.
The lunar lute is a plucked stringed instrument originating in China that was introduced in Vietnam. In the south, it is also known as kìm lute. This instrument has a round body that resembles the moon, hence its name "lunar lute". According to ancient texts, the original instrument had four strings (Chinese lunar lute), which were later reduced to two. It is an important instrument in the Peking opera orchestra, where it often replaces the fretted string instruments as the main melodic instrument.
The lunar lute is a very popular instrument used for solo and ensemble performances, and is characterized by unique playing techniques, such as finger plucking (vê) and strumming (g?y). Its sound is bright, lively, emotive and versatile in expressing various musical emotions.