|
Date: |
|
Description: | NB - this items lacks the area with the definitive rebate for a tongue in jews' harps and the profile differs from those of complete examples. It may well therefore be a completely different category of object.A copper-alloy Jews' Harp. The instrument is broken, missing half of its rounded head and one of its arms. The remaining arm is quite short at 19 mm in length. The shape of what remains of the head is also quite unusual, projecting out to the side further than on most examples. As on most examples discovered in the ground the iron tongue, which would be twanged to create a sound whilst the head was held lightly between the teeth, is also missing. The head and arms are not diamond shaped in section, as on most examples, but are rather hexagonal. File marks are apparent on each edge of the instrument. Other examples are illustrated in Bailey (1995, pages 76 to 77) and Egan (1998, pages 284-285). Jews' harps are known to be indigenous to South-East Asia and were introduced to Europe by the time of the Crusades, and are thus found in Britain from the Medieval period (Egan 1998, page 284). The unusual shape of this example makes it somewhat difficult to date sylisticly; it is possible that it dates from the medieval period, but it may also be of a later, Post-Medieval date.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
JEWS HARP
A copper-alloy Jew's harp, missing…
-
JEWS HARP
A copper-alloy Jew's harp, missing…
-
-
-
JEWS HARP
An incomplete and slightly misshapen…
-
-
|