The
Offogerty harp is a wire strung Irish (or Celtic) harp that dates
from the 17th century. These instruments have a magical, ringing
voice with a long sustain; their sound lies somewhere between
a harpsichord and a bell.
This
is a print of my digital painting of the Offogerty Harp - it's
16 by 20 inches in size at 300 DPI, and the image is based on
a photograph from Robert Bruce Armstrong's "The Irish and
Highland Harps". Purists may note that I have taken a couple
of small liberties with the painting. Here the harp is superimposed
over a bold Celtic Knotwork border; faint interlace designs also
appear in the background margins and the backdrop, behind the
borders.
Once
the property of Cornelius O'ffogerty, this harp is of the type
we call a "large, low-headed" Irish harp, which is typical
for the seventeenth century. It is not highly decorated but its
lines are both striking and unusual among surviving examples -
the large scroll at the end of the harmonic curve is its most
distinctive feature.
Its soundboard was
pierced for thirty-six strings, while the harmonic curve never
carried more than thirty-five tuning pins. Because only thirty-four
string holes are visible in the photograph I've chosen to string
it with thirty-four strings - hopefully not further adding to
the confusion.
Versions
of this design are available in my online store on posters, shirts,
greeting cards, mugs, coasters, and tote bags.
copyright
Bradley W. Schenck 2002
