Welsh Triple Harp
John Richards British, Welsh
Not on view
The triple harp first developed in Italy and appeared in the British Isles by the early seventeenth century. The instrument became so popular with Welsh harpists, especially those residing in London, that by the eighteenth century it was known as the ‘Welsh triple harp.’ The instrument has three rows of strings, with the two outside rows tuned in unison to a diatonic scale, and the middle row tuned to the chromatic notes. This instrument was made by John Richards of Llanrwst, also active in Glanbran, Wales’ leading harp maker of the eighteenth century.
The harp was heavily used and shows signs of multiple restorations, several at the hands of important harp makers themselves. The earliest restoration was done by a craftsperson identified only as the successor to John Richards. An early nineteenth century renovation was performed by the eminent London harp maker Joseph Morley.
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