There are a lot of motifs used in jewellery design. Hearts are pretty common, as are flowers and birds. One motif which is less common is that of musical instruments. However, you may see jewellery shaped like a musical instrument or incorporating one somewhere in the design. One instrument you will find associated with Ireland is the celtic harp. It was adopted by Henry VIII as a national emblem of Ireland in 1542 when he adopted the title of King of Scotland and later by James I, but was found on medals and pins well before that time. The celtic harp is triangular in form and has strings which are perpendicular to the sound box.

In this post, I have included two pieces of jewellery featuring the celtic harp. The first is a stunning gold Irish locket brooch with a celtic harp in the centre. There are shamrock leaves circling the harp and also acting as a border to the whole brooch. A small gold bird is on the top of the piece and an oval green paste stone is set in a gold bow at the base.

Large Irish gold brooch with central celtic harp

The second brooch is also Irish. It is made of Irish bog oak and is an oval shape with an Irish harp inset in the centre. The strings are gold. There is a gold border around the harp and then another border of shamrocks, each decorated with a gold centre. It has a c-clasp. It is a mourning brooch, as the word ‘Regard’ is written around the gold border. A similar brooch but with a different engraving was apparently exhibited in the Dublin Exhibition of 1861 (McCrum, p19).

Victorian Irish bog oak brooch with central celtic harp

I have also included two pieces of jewellery featuring a lyre, one at the top of the post and one below. The lyre is a u-shaped instrument with strings that run parallel to the sound box. Lyres were associated with the Greek god Apollo, and have been said to unite heaven and earth, and to symbolize harmony. There are examples of lyre-shaped jewellery from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods. The two pieces I have are from the late Victorian/Edwardian eras. Both are gold, set with seed pearls.

Antique bar brooch with lyre

My last piece is quite different to the previous ones as it is a Victorian gold stick pin with a small violin attached to it with a chain. I don’t think there is too much symbolism associated with it. It may just have been a gift for someone who liked music.

Antique stickpin with violin

Reference: Elizabeth McCrum, ‘Irish Victorian Jewellery’, (1984-1987) 1 Irish Arts Review 18-21, Spring 1985.