From all reports, the people of Chu enjoyed a distinctive musical genre. In 582 b. c.e., an imprisoned Chu musician in the state of Jin played southern music to the king. During the early Western Han period, Chu music, known as chusheng, was popular in the court of King Gaozu. The survival in tomb contexts of sets of bronze bells that can still be played makes it possible to appreciate part of the Chu repertoire. Likewise, wooden instruments, such as zithers from mawangdui, can be copied for the same purpose. The earliest known bells with a possible Chu context fall in the period of Western Zhou and can be dated to the early ninth century on stylistic grounds. These were expertly cast so that by striking the bell in different areas two tones could be produced. Even the point on which to strike the bell to achieve this end was indicated with a decorative bird or elephant. southern forms of bells seem to have been adopted into the Western Zhou repertoire and certainly became popular mortuary furniture as part of the changing Zhou metropolitan rituals. in Chu itself, a fine bell is known; to judge from its inscription, it probably dates to the reign of King Gong Wang of the early sixth century b. c.e. The wide distribution of similar bells in the Chu cultural sphere, allied with similar inscriptions, suggests the existence of a central specialized workshop, although no such site has yet been located. Royal gifts to client rulers constitute a likely context in which such bell sets were disseminated.
At a slightly later date, Tomb 1 at Xiasi (Henan province) included a set of nine bells. Tomb 2 at the same site yielded a remarkable set of 26 bells. The location of these bells in the tomb indicated that they were played when positioned in two rows, with the eight largest on the lower row, the balance on an upper tier. Even this number pales before the 65 bells found in the tomb of the marquis of Zeng at Leigudun. These were arranged in three rows. The largest was a gift to the marquis from King Hui of Chu (r. 488-532 b. c.e.) and stands almost a meter in height. The extraordinary skill of the musicians and casters, who must presumably have acted in concert, is reflected in the fact that the inscribed tone on each bell matches perfectly the sound ultimately produced. The tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng also contained a virtually complete set of other instruments that would have made up a Chu orchestra of the period. There were seven large zithers, as well as drums, panpipes, flutes, mouth organs, and chime stones. These were from the central chamber of the tomb and contrast with a set of five large and two small zithers, two mouth organs, and a drum from another chamber. These probably represent chamber music, in contrast to the louder music produced by the full orchestra. The evidence for Chu music derives almost entirely from aristocratic tombs and indicates a widespread tradition closely related to that of the Zhou. The music of the lower classes remains unknown.
Development of Chu Tombs
The plan of Chu tombs also developed in complexity during the period of Eastern Zhou, from a vertical pit in the ground, containing a double wooden coffin, to more elaborate tombs for the elite. By the Warring States period, a rich burial included a covering mound and access ramps. Over time, the richer burials incorporated many chambers or compartments to receive the goods deemed necessary to maintain the same quality of life after death as that previously enjoyed. Such chambers, as at Suixian and Chang-taiguan, were filled with musical instruments, drinking vessels, and weaponry and provided space for the consorts or servants of the tomb master. The former tomb contained 21 women, sacrificed and placed in one of the chambers of the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi. His private chambers would, if the tomb contents are a guide, have been filled with the scent of incense, while he dined from solid gold vessels. The range of grave goods also developed during this period, as lacquer ware and decorated silk were increasingly preferred to bronze. The lacquer was often finely decorated with humans, animals, and, as in a cup from BAOSHAN, a series of chariots.
World History
