Ming Dynasty Superbly constructed with various precious woods of warm and dark hues such as zitan, huanghuali, and hongmu cut hexagonally imitating Buddhist patchwork vestments, the flat elongated body with two waisted sections on both sides, the top with thirteen inlaid mother-of-pearl studs (hui), seven strings threaded through tasseled jade pegs (qinzhen) running over the top and tied to either of the two button-like 'goose-feet' (yanzu) on the back, with two rectangular openings, the large one termed 'dragon pool' (longchi) and the smaller 'phoenix pond' (fengzhao), the underside bearing an inscription 'Tai gu yuan yin' or 'Harmony of Remote Antiquity', and the seal 'Chuan shi zhi bao', 'Treasure passed down the generations', box. 117cm (46in) long, 18cm (7in) wide (2).