Dital harp.

Brimmeyr and Pfeiffer

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Instrument

Dital harp

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Brimmeyr and Pfeiffer

Place Made

Europe ; France ; Paris ; Western Europe

Date Made

Circa 1830

Description

Technical description: Guitar shaped body with flat base and attached pedestal (with red felt attached to the bottom). Flat back. Three sound-holes, the two upper holes having pierced roses, each diameter 60.5. Lower hole has a gilded flower petal pattern attached to the inner back surface. Sound-hole diameter 96. Body, sides, headstock, and column of cherry (?). Rosewood pedestal, edging piece on headstock and top and bottom mounts on column. Square-headed tuning-pins. Spruce soundboard with ebony edge banding. Inlaid cherry strip in column, probably covering a stress bar. Ebonised bridge. 25 strings, the lowest two covered. Compass B₂ - E₆. Semitone hooks from G₃ - F₄, the other strings have ditals which cannot be turned from the back. String holding pins in bridge similar to those on contemporary guitars, graduating in size from treble to bass. With attached yellow/gold cord with tassel ends for supporting the instrument when being played. Full string lengths (bass to treble) 726, 718, 704, 690, 673, 649, 618, 582, 540, 493, 454, 415, 383, 355, 325, 302, 280, 256, 238, 220, 204, 184, 171, 156, 141. Overall size: 877. Body length: 360 (treble) - 320 (bass). Body width: 343 (lower bout) - 313 (waist) - 383 (upper bout). Body depth: 88 (bottom) - 64 (top). String length: 141 - 726. Signature marks: Engraved on the brass tuning plate at the back "No 4. / Brimmeyr & Pfeiffer / Par Brevet d'Invention / A PARIS". Decorative features: Gilded band with raised hearts near top of column. Illustration references: Vol. 1 p.48.

Notes

D.P. Martin, 1996-1997.

Measurements

877.

Provenance

on loan to the Collection.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

0855

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