Pedal Harp
ca. 1780
Medium
Wood, various materials
Dimensions
Extreme H. 167 cm (65-3/4 in.); L. of pillar: 137 cm (54 in.); Soundboard: resonating L.: 117.5 cm (46-1/4 in.), greatest W.: 31 cm (12-1/2 in.); Strings (sounding L): longest: 140.5 cm (55-3/8 in.), shortest: 12 cm (4-3/4 in.), c2: 27.5 cm (10-7/8 in.)
Classification
Chordophone-Harp
Culture
French
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1944
Accession Number
44.157.7
Art Historical Context
This elegant pedal harp, crafted around 1780 by the renowned French maker Jean Henri Naderman, stands as a testament to the refined musical culture of late eighteenth-century France. As a chordophone, it combines functional design with decorative artistry, its wooden frame and soundboard supporting a complex array of strings that range dramatically in length. The instrument’s sophisticated pedal mechanism allowed players to alter pitches mid-performance, marking an important evolution in harp design that expanded its expressive possibilities during the Classical era. Naderman’s work reflects ...