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Description: | An incomplete and slightly misshapen post-Medieval cast copper-alloy Jews harp (dating from about 1500 to 1800). In plan, it has a sub-circular head and tapering arms both of which are characteristically lozenge-shaped in cross-section. At the apex, on the front face, is a rabbet (notch) to accommodate the iron prong (twanger) which has not survived. The arms are complete though one is chipped. The surfaces are a reddish brown. It has small patches of a mid-green patina within which there are traces of file marks. Record IOW-4A5904 discusses these musical instruments further: Geoff Egan of The Museum of London has commented on Medieval Jews harps saying that "The Jews harp, or trump, is an ancient folk instrument with a wide geographical distribution. It is indigenous to South-east Asia, and was certainly introduced to Europe by the time of the Crusades . . . The European Jews harp, familiar today, is made of metal, usually iron, and the tongue is a separate component hammered into a rabbet in the thickest part of the frame. At its other end the tongue is bent into a prong, but this rarely survives in archaeological contexts. In play, the instrument is held in one hand and the frame is lightly supported between the player's teeth, while the metal tongue is plucked with the fingers on the other hand. The mouth cavity acts as a resonator and the pitch is modified by the position of the lips, tongue and cheeks" (Egan, G. 1998."The Medieval Household Daily Living c. 1150 - c. 1450". 284. London: The Stationery Office. Similar examples are illustrated in Bailey, G, 1993, 'Detector Finds 2', 76-7, refs. 4-6. Bailey (page 76) suggests that these examples date to the eighteenth century. See also: Elliston-Erwood, F. C. 1944. "Notes on Bronze Objects from Shooters Hill, Kent and Elsewhere.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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