Celtic Harp Pendant
Available in 925 Solid Sterling Silver with a 46cm chain and lobster clasp.
Length 22mm, Width 16mm, Depth 3mm
Ireland is unique in having a musical instrument as its emblem. It is one of the oldest instruments in traditional Irish music dating back to medieval times. It is a triangular wooden framed wire or gut stringed instrument plucked by the fingers nails.
In the words of Giraldus Cambrensis, the twelfth century Welsh scholar, describing the musicianship of the harper “...the perfection of their art seems to lie in their concealing it, as if it were the better for being hidden.”
- 46cm chain and lobster clasp.
- Length 22mm
- Width 16mm
- Depth 3mm
- Handmade in Ireland
- Hallmarked at the Assay Office at Dublin Castle
History of the Celtic Harp
The cláirseach, or harp, is the national emblem of Ireland, appearing on flags, passports, and currency. It was an instrument of the elite in Ireland and Scotland, requiring years of practice to master, with strings made of metal that had to be constantly dampened due to their long resonance. Though it may have existed as far back as the 11th Century, its position as a symbol of Ireland and Celtic culture earned it the enmity of the English authorities in the late medieval period, who eventually banned it entirely - only a handful of harps from before this period have survived to this day. However in recent years the harp has had a cultural revival (with new musicians typically favoring small models), both as an instrument and as a symbol of Irish identity.
