Saxony, Germany
“Wander-Harfe – Saxonia”

Wood, metal, pigment, gilded
ca.1875-1918 C.E.
Height:  25.9 in
Strings – Miscellaneous Harps – Zither/Harp

Label inside reads:  Wander-Harfe / “Saxonia” / (Picture Logo of 2 men and 1 women playing the Wander Harfe G.M. Sch. Nr. 769622 / Patent A. 

Painted on the lower front of the Wander-Harfe are the lower case letters “ a f d” for tuning the three strings

This cítara (zither) by Wander-Harfe from Saxony (Germany) is a triangular frame-harp.  It consists of a wooden resonator that is decorated with a double incised rivet in white and a circular plant motif in the upper part/top.  The three acoustic openings include one large circular, one small circular and one small oval.

There are a total of nine strings.  Six of the strings are free (bourdons) tuned in chords to provide the accompaniment.  The other three strings serve as melody strings with a 4-fret fingerboard. The brochure that accompanies this Wander-Harfe reads: “There are only 9 strings to play with 23 chords.”