Autoharp or barred zither.

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Instrument

Autoharp

Instrument Family

Strings

Date Made

(Early 20th Century)

Description

Technical description: Top and bottom sides at 90º to spine. Side opposite spine has a guitar shape at the lower half, with a lower bout, waist and upper point, then a straight section from the upper point to the top side. Soundboard approximately, thickness 4. Lowest eight strings overspun. Six bars for playing different chords, from top to bottom: c major, D 7th, G major, E minor, A minor, B minor. Square-headed tuning-pins. Sound-hole diameter 58, under the bars. Bars operated with springs at each end to remove from the strings when not held down. The strings which are not wanted for a chord are dampened by strips of green felt. Case painted, making wood identification impossible. Bars have ivory (?) buttons for pressing down, three now missing. Three buttons underneath on back. Notes from bass to treble are C₂, D₂, G₂, B₂, C₃, D₃, E₃, F♯₃, G₃, A₃, B₃, C₄, D₄, E₄, F♯₄, G₄, A₄, B₄, C₅, D₅, E₅, F♯₅, G₅, A₅, B₅. Overall size: 444. Body length: 444. Body width: 235 (bottom), 252 (lower bout), 250 (upper point), 106 (top). Body depth: 33 (body), 70 (maximum). String length: strings 1 - 11, 378; other strings, 369 (string 12) - 208 (string 25). Attached label, in between the bars and the bottom giving the tuning of the instrument in stave and German notation. Strings 6 - 25 are also numbered, string 6 being numbered 1, string 7 numbered 2, etc. The third bar has an attached label reading "3 / g / dur / - / sol / maj / C". The other bars had labels which are now missing. Decorative features: All painted black; painted ornaments of a stylised rose tree in a pot with gilded surrounding ornament.

Notes

D.P. Martin, 1996-1997.

Measurements

444.

Provenance

Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1102

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