Prompted by unanswered questions and conflicting hypotheses on the wood used for the column of the Barberini Harp, as raised at the 2016 Convening in Roma, in 2018 Harfenlabor initiated examinations into the wood species used to build the harp. Wood scientists at the Thünen-Intitut (Hamburg) used the most advanced non-invasive technologies and determined that the column was made of walnut. Interviews with Experts brings additional insight into the processes and questions involved.
Examining the Harp in Roma: The Process
This is a video account of aspects of the scientific process deployed by the wood scientists Volker Haag and Valentia Zemke during the The Barberini Harp Wood Species Identification in the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali Roma in 2018. It’s a delicate process, as the scientists must approach this precious harp with utmost care, due to conservation concerns.
Thünen-Institut Wood Species Identification Report
Institut für Holzforschung, Thünen-Institut (Hamburg) presents the findings of the anatomical determination of structural features for wood species on the Barberini Harp, detected with the non-destructive high-resolution 3D-reflected light microscopy and compared with the data held in the scientific wood collection at the Thünen-Institut. On February 18, 2019, Volker Haag shared his findings in this report to Harfenlabor.
The Barberini Harp Wood Species Identification
In December 2018, Volker Haag and Valentina Zemke from the Thünen-Institut, Institut für Holzforschung transported comprehensive microscopy equipment, including a state-of-the-art 3D-RLM (3D-reflected light microscopy) microscope from Hamburg to Roma for investigation of wood species on the Barberini Harp. This advanced technology enables completely non-destructive material analysis.