{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O58961"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58961/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JW4596/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JW4596/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JW4596","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EV7881","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EV7876","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW7571","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW7603","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW7604","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O58961/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O58961","accessionNumber":"37-1873","objectType":"Harp-lute","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Edward Light (about 1747-about 1832) was an active inventor and composer who developed a number of stringed instruments based upon the harp and guitar, and wrote tutors for these instruments between about 1798 and 1820. In 1810 he invented the harp-lute, which soon became a fashionable instrument for ladies. Light's main patron was Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), the daughter of the Prince Regent. The instrument had 12 strings, seven of which could be played on the fingerboard, and five bass strings, four of which could be raised a semi-tone, by turning a blade or tangent called a 'ring stop'.","physicalDescription":"Harp lute with a body of seven ribs, with two sound slots in the centre rib. Belly painted black and decorated with gilt scrollwork. An inserted carved rose of star shape, and a tied bridge. The neck, rising from the treble side of the body, has a wide fingerboard with eight ivory frets and three nuts. The lowest nut is for the treble string only, the next is for four strings, and the highest is for two, there being seven fingerboard strings in all. Five longer strings run from a swan-necked bar or 'harmonic curve' supported at one end by the neck and at the other by the pillar which rises from the opposite side of the body. Each but the longest of these five strings can be raised a semitone by turning a brass blade or 'ring stop' having a hole in it through which the string normally passes clear. The blades are turned by the player's right hand save for that for the shortest of these strings, which is turned by the left thumb through a linkage of rods and cranks. The twelve strings are of gut and overspun silk, and all are tuned by wrest pins.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Light, Edward","id":"A11680"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"gold leaf","id":"x33207"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"varnishing","id":"AAT53825"},{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted, varnished and gilded pine","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2017JW4596","2011EV7881","2011EV7876","2017JW7571","2017JW7603","2017JW7604"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES342019"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Harp-lute","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1811-1815","earliest":"1811-01-01","latest":"1815-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"82","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"41","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"body","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"675. Light. Foley Place. London.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"English","medium":"","method":"gilding","position":"above the the fingerboard","script":"Cursive","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"1) Decoration 2) Signature","note":"1) Decoration 2) Signature; English; Cursive; above the the fingerboard; gilding"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Harp-lute, English, 1811-1815, Edward Light","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"London, Victoria & Albert Museum: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Part II, Anthony Baines: <i>Non-keyboard instruments</i> (London, 1998), p. 69"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"HARP-LUTE \r\nEnglish \r\nBy Edward Light, London, about 1810 \r\nInscribed 675. Light. Foley Place, London\r\nStrung with twelve strings, of which seven can be played on the fingerboard and five are basses, four of which can be raised a semi-tone by turning  blades called \"ring stops\".  \r\n \r\nNon-Keyboard Catalogue No.: 13/8 \r\n \r\nEdward Light (c. 1747-c. 1832) was an active inventor and composer, developing a number of stringed instruments based upon the harp and guitar and writing a number of tutors for these instruments. He patented the Harp-Lute in 1818, although he invented it some eight years earlier. He was organist of Trinty Chapel, St. George's. Hannover Square and \"Lyrist to H.R.H. The Princess Charlotte] of Wales\". His business partner was Angelo Ventura, who also invented harp variants and composed for these instruments. \r\n\r\n37-1873","date":{"text":"pre September 2000","earliest":null,"latest":"2000-08-31"}}],"partNumbers":["37-1873"],"accessionNumberNum":"37","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1873,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"","id":""},"number":"675"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2001-05-16","availableToBook":true}}