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The Jew's Harp: A Comprehensive Anthology

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Hardcover, cloth over boards with a sewn binding the dustjacket. 221 pp. Illustrated. Bibliography and Index.

"The Jew's harp is one of the oldest and one of the most widely played instruments known to man. In one of its two major forms, it is found in virtually every inhabited area of the world...."

"...presents a collection of rare articles and self-contained works on this fascinating instrument, ranging in subject matter from its history, playing techniques, and manufacture to biographies of its noted nineteenth-century virtuosi."

A long introduction provides information and an overview of "the instrument in terms of typology, construction, classification, geographic distribution, methods of playing, acoustics, and psycho-sexual significance and use." <--- ?!?

Although now used primarily to play music in folk traditions, there was a golden age of Jew's Harp performance from about 1750 to 1850, including stellar performers who played varied harps, including a composite instrument called The Aura "which had up to ten Jew's harps fixed between metal plates.

In other parts of the world, Jew's Harps were situated in the Shamanist traditions (particularly Russia and Mongolia) and were even used as theapeutic tools by early psychotherapists like Mesmer.