Notch flute, xiao inscribed 'D' with five fingerholes and one thumbhole. bamboo with seven nodes, which become closer together towards the bottom. The exterior is also slightly narrower towards the bottom, suggesting that this is the top end of the plant. All nodes are smoothed off on the outside and opened out inside apart from the top one, which has been smoothed flat to form an end cap. There is a notch at the front of the top rim, and the end cap has a U-shaped hole cut accomodate it. Finger and thumb holes are oval shaped and irregularly spaced. Thumbhole is above top finger hole. Two pairs of vent holes in the back of the instrument towards the bottom. The letterb 'D' is printed in green ink above the finger holes, and four chinese figures appear below them. Bore at distil end: 14.5 mm. Made circa 1975. Dr Helen Rees explained to MWaitzman that the unevenly spacing of the fingerholes suggested that it was tuned for equal temperament, (influenced by Western music) and that the letter 'D' indicated that in was in D (Western modern pitch d). She said that earlier xiao of this type had more evenly spaced fingerholes reflecting earlier tuning practices.
