Bell harp.

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Instrument

Bell harp

Instrument Family

Strings

Place Made

Europe ; England ; United Kingdom

Date Made

Late 18th Century

Description

Technical description: Bell shaped body with flat bottom. Body of mahogany with mitred corners. Two angled bridges, separated by a pine piece running from top to bottom. Bridges are triangular in shape, with the hitchpins attached to the angled back surface. Three strings per note, with sixteen notes in total, eight on each side of the dividing piece. 48 strings in total. Bridges of mahogany with iron wire along the crest. Wrestplank of holly, the nut cut from the same piece of wood as the wrestplank and raised about 3mm with an iron wire along the crest. Tuning-pins in three rows, their position scribed on the wrestplank, as is the position of the strings. The rear-most row of tuning-pins has caused the wrestplank to crack. Other holes in the wrestplank behind the current rows have been plugged - the current rows appear to be original with the plugged holes later repairs which were either mistakes that were never used, or else disregarded. Hinged mahogany lid, with the hinges at the bell end, and the lid can be kept closed by hook-and-eyes set 210mm from the bottom. Each is hinged again at 183mm from the bottom to allow the instrument to be played with the bridges covered. The lid has a box shaped section over the wrestpins. There is a stand to support the instrument at an angle, made of mahogany, consisting of a piece of wood (formerly attached to the back near the bell end), and a hinged piece. This is of doubtful originality. Front section of the lid also of doubtful originality. Flat headed tuning-pins. Overall size: 587. Body length: 587. Body width: 351 - 209. Body depth: 45 (bell end), 37 (body). String length: left hand 387 - 258; right hand 235 - 123. Written in neat copperplate handwriting on paper label attached to the bell end of the instrument, now torn, "The Bell ... / A vertical thin fl ... / with brass or stee ... / scale of about 10 ... / the hand & struck by a ... / thumb one dated 169 ... / Simcose." [sic] "The one at F ... / about this date". Repair History: Hinges broken, main section of lid cracked, `stand' loose from instrument.

Notes

D.P. Martin, 1996-1997.

Measurements

587.

Provenance

Purchased in 1983 with assistance from the Government's Local Museums Purchase Fund and the University's General Council Trust.

Collection

Glen Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1591

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