A sihu on display at the Metropolitan Museum, with an erhu behind it
- Chinese/Japanese: 四胡 (sì hú / shiko)
The sihu is a four-stringed fiddle closely related to the more widely-known two-stringed erhu. Though occasionally played as part of the ensemble accompanying Beijing opera (jingju), the sihu is more closely associated with drum songs & dances, where it often accompanies other stringed instruments such as the sanxian, pipa, and yangqin.
References
- Gallery labels, "Beijing Opera Orchestra," Musical Instruments gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art.