Antique Erard double pedal harp

Dimensions: H x W x D: 178 x 92 x 48 cm

Description:
Antique harp in neo-Gothic style from the Sebastian and Pierre Erard manufactory in London.

Beautiful musical instrument with feet in the shape of winged mythical creatures and an elaborately designed shaft in the Gothic style. We see friezes of foliage and tendrils, trefoils and finials. The column capitals feature finely stuccoed figures of saints and angels playing music, framed by pillars, pointed arches and tracery in separate niches.
The curved neck, like the sound box, is made of maple. Dark grooves and floral engravings in the connecting piece between the neck and sound box contrast beautifully with the light-coloured wood.
The neck, framed in a polished metal plate, contains the mechanics of the instrument. The 46 strings run over small pulleys which, by adjusting the pedals, can be used to shorten the length of the vibrating part of the strings in order to raise their tuning by half a tone or a whole tone.

The harp comes with a tuning key and a metal box with spare strings. The harp is currently strung with a set of strings from 1943, which came with the instrument in its original packaging when it was purchased (see photo).

Signature and serial number

The engraved signature confirms the maker of the instrument: Sebastian and Pierre Erard - 18, Great Marlborough Street - London.

Sébastien Érard (1752-1831) is considered one of the great inventors and pioneers in instrument making. Born Sebastian Ehrhardt in Strasbourg, he moved to Paris at an early age, where he opened his first workshop. Against the resistance of the harp makers' guild, he received a special royal licence to build his own instruments - a step that marked the beginning of an extraordinary career.
Érard became famous above all for his pioneering invention of the double pedal mechanism in 1811, which opened up unimagined sound possibilities for the harp and quickly found its way into the music of the great composers of his time.
The turmoil of the French Revolution took Érard to London for a time, where he set up a second workshop. After his return to Paris, his company grew steadily and achieved worldwide fame. Supported by his brother Jean-Baptiste and later his nephew Pierre, Érard became one of the most respected and wealthiest instrument makers in Europe.
he died in 1831 in his castle on the Bois de Boulogne. However, his name remained inextricably linked with the harp and piano making - as a synonym for perfect craftsmanship and technical innovation.

Also in the signature area is the Serial number 6693 is also engraved in the signature area. Based on old accounting documents from the Erard company, the harp can be clearly dated to 1897 using the serial number. The harp was labelled Sycamore (maple) and Gothic, which clearly corresponds to the characteristics of the instrument on offer here.
The sale was also noted: The harp was sold on 16 March 1898 to Lady Higginson of Wilton Crescent. Lady Higginson, namely Florence Virginia Fox (née Fitz-Patrick), lived from 1834-1912 and was the daughter of John Fitz-Patrick, 1st Baron Castletown and wife of Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson, who was born in Wilton Crescent, Belgravia, London in 1826.
At the time the harp was purchased, Lady Higginson and her husband Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson still owned their residence in Wilton Crescent, but lived mainly in their Gyldernscroft estate, now known as Higginson House, 1 Henley Road in Marlow, near London. The couple were good friends with the royal family. George V and Queen Mary were frequent visitors to Gyldernscroft.
In honour of Sir George's 100th birthday, he was presented with the Court Garden Estate in Marlow, now known as Higginson Park.

Condition:
The wood of the harp has been cleaned and polished with shellac. The stuccowork and gilding have been consolidated, supplemented where necessary and are in very good condition.
The mechanism has been dismantled and cleaned. The instrument is strung with a set of strings from 1943, which came with the instrument in its original packaging (see photo). The playability of these strings, which are over 80 years old, is not guaranteed.

Price: 9250,-€

The exact dating of the harp can be verified in Erard's historical accounting volumes, volume III, page 248 (see photo).