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Grecian Harp

Painted wooden Grecian style harp, with eight brass pedals, leather wrappings, five doors in the sound holes, double action fourchette mechanism on all but the top string, external linkage on lower mechanism, 43 strings E-E, bottom eight strings are wire wound, the rest gut. Brass action plates on each side of the neck. String pegs on all strings; ten are missing. Straight carved column; head of column decorated with gilded plaster in the form of Grecian angels and ferns, gilded ferns at base of column, back feet have gesso scallops and gilded. Griffins (winged dogs?) above front feet which are also scallop shaped (a replacement of the paws), mask and ferns on the front of the pedal box, all gilded. Soundboard unpainted. The rest of the harp is painted brown with gold geometrical highlights.

  • Maker:
    Sebastian Erard [Corporation]
  • Collection:
    Fitzwilliam Museum
  • Inventory number:
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  • Place of production:
    London (Timezone: Europe/London)
  • Culture:
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  • Inscriptions:inscription; on brass action plate by head on left side; engraved; Sebastian Erard/Patent N.3908/18 Great Marlborough Street LONDON|inscription; on brass action plate by head on right side; engraved; Sebastian Erard/Maker/by special appointment to his MAJESTY and the/ROYAL FAMILY|tie-on label; No.8/Concert harp
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:
  • Repository:Fitzwilliam Museum
  • Measurements:height, to top of column, 171, cm; width, shoulder to column, 77, cm; width, sound board, 37, cm