Building on findings from the presenter’s doctoral research—which applied archaeological typology to systematically classify and interpret pipa imagery in Shanxi Province from the Northern Wei to Tang dynasties—this study will focus on two representative iconographies: one from Cave 12 of the Yungang Grottoes, known as the "Cave of Music," and another from the Tomb of Yu Hong, a Sogdian noble of the Sui dynasty. Through these case studies, the paper explores how cross-cultural exchanges between agrarian Han society and nomadic steppe cultures fostered structural innovations and evolving performance aesthetics in pipa instruments.

In addition to iconographic analysis, the paper 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.