Date 1815-20
Provenance England (London)
Maker J. Erat
Height 171 cm
Width 87.1 cm
Weight 18.9 kg
Nr. of strings 43
Longest string 147 cm
A4 40 cm
Range F1-F7
Mechanism single action pedals ‡ fourchettes
Nr. of pedals 7

This harp was made in London by J. Erat; on the back of the neck is written: J. Erat Maker, Wardour Street, Soho, London, 669, and is numbered 680 under the crescent and on the base. From both structural and decorative standpoints Erat’s harps are clearly inspired by those of Erard; of note here is the richness of the ornamentation in neo-archeological style, with ram’s heads, little palms and exotic busts on the capitals, as well as two sleeping lions lying on the base at the bottom of the column. The original presence of the eighth pedal of rÈnforcement can be deduced from the trapezoidal sound holes on the back of the soundbox, as well as from marks discernable on the base.