ram’s-head harps

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This topic has 32 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 6 months ago by jessica-wolff.

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November 3, 2010 at 5:23 pm #72994

jessica-wolff
Participant

Just to clarify–the term appears to be used both for the single-action Erard I have, and other contemporaneous harps, where the capitol (?) is surrounded by several ram’s heads; and for scroll-headed harps that have the general shape of a ram’s head but do not necessarily depict one. Is that right? If so, I wish people would just say scroll-headed, which is less confusing.

November 3, 2010 at 6:38 pm #72995

barbara-brundage
Participant

>nd for scroll-headed harps that have the general shape of a ram’s head but do not necessarily depict one

No. A ram’s head harp has a decoration of rams’ heads on it. A harp with a scroll is not at all the same thing (at least not in general parlance–there are a couple of folks here who seem to use the term that way, but nobody in the rest of the harp/antique world would understand the term to include scrolltops).

November 3, 2010 at 6:39 pm #72996

deb-l
Participant

hi Jessica, sounds like I have been using the term inaccurately, thanks for pointing that out.

November 3, 2010 at 7:35 pm #72997

jessica-wolff
Participant

Thanks, both!

November 3, 2010 at 8:01 pm #72998

patricia-jaeger
Member

Stylized acanthus leaf wreaths and scrolls were used on not only harps but also fine furniture for centuries.

November 3, 2010 at 8:07 pm #72999

jessica-wolff
Participant

Apparently Pratt Harps also uses the term to include scroll-tops. Perhaps they started this usage.

November 4, 2010 at 5:22 am #73000

karen
Participant

I think you got it right. The term “ram’s head” is used in wood working and means when something has a rounded shape to it—-like the curled horns of a big horn sheep/ram. The Pratt Chamber Harp does have a “ram’s head” and yes, the capital plates are on either side of it. John Pratt does use the term “ram’s head” to describe the shape but uses the ” ” when he does.

Scrolled head would not really be accurate for his harps because it does not “scroll” and the wood is not carved as if it were a scroll.

Hope this helps.

November 4, 2010 at 3:49 pm #73001

jessica-wolff
Participant

Yes, it does.

November 4, 2010 at 3:52 pm #73002

deb-l
Participant

so does that mean the Pratt Dauphine is a scroll top because of the applied carvings of leaves and flowers?

November 4, 2010 at 3:57 pm #73003

barbara-brundage
Participant

The Dauphine doesn’t have an actual scroll, but it was intended to give the impression of one of the old scroll tops in the way the ornament was applied.

Ditto with the Bryan Marie Antoinette: it’s not really a scroll, just applied stuff over the usual beak, but both harps are meant to look like scroll top harps.

Webster’s Madame Cadillac (hate that name) is an actual rams head harp as the harp world in general understands the term.

If you can find a copy of Gildas Jaffrenou’s book “Folk Harps” (older, out of print a long time now, I think) he has a good discussion of volutes (scrolls) and how to create them.

November 4, 2010 at 3:58 pm #73004

barbara-brundage
Participant

Sorry, I meant the Webster 18th Century, obviously, not the Madame Cadillac.

November 4, 2010 at 4:11 pm #73005

deb-l
Participant

I think you do mean Madame Cadilac?

http://home.comcast.net/~websterstrings/madame_cadillac.html

November 4, 2010 at 4:24 pm #73006

barbara-brundage
Participant

No, that is a scroll top. The 18th Century is a rams head harp:

They’re small, but they’re there.

November 4, 2010 at 4:27 pm #73007

barbara-brundage
Participant

Here’s a classic ramshead harp from Howard Bryan (click capital photo for larger image:

http://www.hbryan.com/available/dodd.html

November 4, 2010 at 5:18 pm #73008

deb-l
Participant

I thought the rams heads were shaped french style like the scroll tops, thanks for explaining, very confusing.
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