474 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



were played with the fingers ; sometmies a piece of bone or ivory- 

 was used with the lyre as a plectrum. 



The dulcimer, which of all musical mediuius is nearest to the 

 piano, has been likewise traced into the dim recesses of history, 



TRIANGULAR HARPS. 



J. Ancient Egyptian Harp, fmm instrument in Egyptian Museum, t^lorence. 2. Ancient Egyptian Harp AVilliinsonI 



3. Ancient hgyptian Harp i\V ilkinson). 4. Persian C/iaKg- (from Persian MS. 410 years old j-Lanc's " Arabian Niglits." 



VARIOUS FORMS OF ECVPTI.'.N HARPS (kOSELLINI). , 



lands. Portable Harps for single use. 2. Orchestral Harp. 4. From Painting at Thebes, on tomb of Ramescs III. 



Fir,. 1. 



and was known doubtless as early as the harp. In a piece of 

 antique sculpture — an Assyrian bas-relief — in the British Muse- 

 um, a dulcimer may be seen illustrating the principle of sound 

 production in strings by percussion. Another bas-relief repre- 

 sents a procession of tri- 

 umph after the victory 

 of Sardanapalus over the 

 Susians, where the dulci- 

 mer is used. 



Having shown the an- 

 tiquity of these instru- 

 ments of the string fam- 

 ily out of which the piano 

 has been evolved, we pass 

 over a space of centuries and come to the next major development 

 of the idea. This was the introduction of finger-keys in the 

 organ, which were in the beginning struck with the clinched fist. 

 Guido is said to have first applied them, in addition to his other 

 historic achievements. 



ASSYRIAN LVRPS. 



I and 2. Sculptiires from Konyunjik (Diitish Museum). 

 3. From Botta's "Nincve." 



Fifi. 2. 



