About
The character 篌 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 竹 (bamboo) at the top and the phonetic component 侯 (hóu) at the bottom. The bamboo radical places it among objects traditionally made from bamboo or wood, while 侯 provides the pronunciation. Historically, 篌 does not stand alone but appears in the compound word for an ancient, multi-stringed plucked instrument similar to a harp. As this instrument was prominent in court music and classical performances, the character is used specifically within musicological contexts to refer to such traditional instruments.