Lyre

Museum number:
9-12847
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21090012847
Accession number:
Acc.3176
Description:
Harp reproduction; soundbox Bird's Eye maple; two mahogany posts inlaid with 288 pieces of blue enamel on copper; on front post is wood bull's head overlaid with 23K gold leaf; bull's beard, forehead and horn-tips blue/white sodalite, obsidian eyes; below bull's head are four low relief panels of contemporary scenes; on rear post are 2 upright goats in low relief; crossbar inlaid with single blue/white sodalite at each end; 13 pegs above, 12 strings; height 1.19 m to top of pegs, length 91.5 cm (crossbar). Reproduction of Sumerian specimen (made in Quincy, Mass. by Eli Richman). Original harp excavated by Sir Leonard Wooley from Ur, Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 BC. Original is no. U.10556 and is in the University Museum, Philadelphia (Kilmer).
Donor:
Josephine Richman
Collection place:
Ur (ancient city), Iraq
Materials:
Obsidian
Object type:
archaeology
Object class:
Lyres
Department:
Asia (except western Russia)
Loans:
S1975-1976 #27: Music Library (UC Berkeley) (November 3, 1975–January 19, 1976), S1977-1978 #5: Music Library (UC Berkeley) (August 10, 1977–August 30, 1977), S1980-1981 #69: Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (UC Berkeley)/Anne D. Kilmer (May 8, 1981–May 8, 1981), and S1994-1995 #9b: SFO Museum (May 5, 1995–June 12, 1995)
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 3 titled Lyre, accession number 9-12847, described as Harp reproduction; soundbox Bird's Eye maple; two mahogany posts inlaid with 288 pieces of blue enamel on copper; on front post is wood bull's head overlaid with 23K gold leaf; bull's beard, forehead and horn-tips blue/white sodalite, obsidian eyes; below bull's head are four low relief panels of contemporary scenes; on rear post are 2 upright goats in low relief; crossbar inlaid with single blue/white sodalite at each end; 13 pegs above, 12 strings; height 1.19 m to top of pegs, length 91.5 cm (crossbar). Reproduction of Sumerian specimen (made in Quincy, Mass. by Eli Richman). Original harp excavated by Sir Leonard Wooley from Ur, Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 BC. Original is no. U.10556 and is in the University Museum, Philadelphia (Kilmer).Hearst Museum object 2 of 3 titled Lyre, accession number 9-12847, described as Harp reproduction; soundbox Bird's Eye maple; two mahogany posts inlaid with 288 pieces of blue enamel on copper; on front post is wood bull's head overlaid with 23K gold leaf; bull's beard, forehead and horn-tips blue/white sodalite, obsidian eyes; below bull's head are four low relief panels of contemporary scenes; on rear post are 2 upright goats in low relief; crossbar inlaid with single blue/white sodalite at each end; 13 pegs above, 12 strings; height 1.19 m to top of pegs, length 91.5 cm (crossbar). Reproduction of Sumerian specimen (made in Quincy, Mass. by Eli Richman). Original harp excavated by Sir Leonard Wooley from Ur, Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 BC. Original is no. U.10556 and is in the University Museum, Philadelphia (Kilmer).Hearst Museum object 3 of 3 titled Lyre, accession number 9-12847, described as Harp reproduction; soundbox Bird's Eye maple; two mahogany posts inlaid with 288 pieces of blue enamel on copper; on front post is wood bull's head overlaid with 23K gold leaf; bull's beard, forehead and horn-tips blue/white sodalite, obsidian eyes; below bull's head are four low relief panels of contemporary scenes; on rear post are 2 upright goats in low relief; crossbar inlaid with single blue/white sodalite at each end; 13 pegs above, 12 strings; height 1.19 m to top of pegs, length 91.5 cm (crossbar). Reproduction of Sumerian specimen (made in Quincy, Mass. by Eli Richman). Original harp excavated by Sir Leonard Wooley from Ur, Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 BC. Original is no. U.10556 and is in the University Museum, Philadelphia (Kilmer).
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Lyre, accession number 9-12847, described as Harp reproduction; soundbox Bird's Eye maple; two mahogany posts inlaid with 288 pieces of blue enamel on copper; on front post is wood bull's head overlaid with 23K gold leaf; bull's beard, forehead and horn-tips blue/white sodalite, obsidian eyes; below bull's head are four low relief panels of contemporary scenes; on rear post are 2 upright goats in low relief; crossbar inlaid with single blue/white sodalite at each end; 13 pegs above, 12 strings; height 1.19 m to top of pegs, length 91.5 cm (crossbar). Reproduction of Sumerian specimen (made in Quincy, Mass. by Eli Richman). Original harp excavated by Sir Leonard Wooley from Ur, Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 BC. Original is no. U.10556 and is in the University Museum, Philadelphia (Kilmer).

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