Reviving Silk Road Soundscapes: Iconographic Transformations of Pipa Instruments (Northern Wei to Sui) and the Prospects of AI-Aided Musical Reconstruction

Abstract

Building on the author’s doctoral research that systematically classified and interpreted pipa imagery in Shanxi Province from the Northern Wei to Tang Dynasties using archaeological typology, this comprehensive study examines two representative iconographies: one from Cave 12 of the Yungang Grottoes (“Cave of Music”) and another from the Tomb of Yu Hong, a Sogdian noble of the Sui Dynasty. Through these case studies, the paper examines how cross-cultural exchanges between agrarian Han society and nomadic steppe cultures led to structural innovations and the evolution of performance aesthetics in pipa instruments. Additionally, the study takes the 14th piece from the Dunhuang pipa manuscripts, You Man Quzi, as a case study to explore its potential for reconstruction and adaptation in contemporary pipa performance. It further presents a preliminary inquiry into the potential role of artificial intelligence in assisting with the revival and creative interpretation of ancient Chinese scores for modern contexts.