13 Best Harp Tattoo Design Ideas for Men and Women in 2020
Meaning of Harp Tattoos for Men and Women
The harp is a very old musical instrument. It is believed to be the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible. It is also the musical instrument that we represent with the angels. Harp tattoos don't just show an affinity with music, as this instrument has deep symbolism in itself.
We also find traces of its presence in Greek culture, even if it was not directly the harp but the lyre, the instrument par excellence of the poets telling the stories of the gods. Harps seem to carry a message of wisdom and revelation. The harp has a metaphysical meaning that is quite difficult to decipher at first glance.
Harp tattoo design of @eddie_dit via Instagram
If you are a Christian and music lover, harp tattoos will just be perfect for you. And besides, you can get other kinds of instrument tattoos on inktells’ online store too.
Tension Between the Spiritual and the Earthly
The harp consists of upper support and lower support united by a vertical piece. Between the two supports (upper and lower), we find the different strings, under tension. But all this does not yet tell us much about the instrument, much more complex than it seems.
Harp tattoos reflect the intense relationship that exists between the ideal world and the earthly world. They express the duality between what is spiritual and what is specific to this world.
It is a very particular way of understanding man (it is not the only one) and some people proudly share it. Harp tattoos can therefore represent this dichotomy.
Harp tattoo design of @hautundliebetattoo via Instagram
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Symbol of Wisdom
-Harp Tattoo Symbol: God and Harp
As we have pointed out before, the harp is the instrument that angels wear in heaven. These messengers are infinitely wiser than men. This is why the harp has been associated with divine wisdom since time immemorial.
It is not unusual to find images, religious or not, on which the harps appear as a symbolic remedy expressing precisely this idea of tension between the human and the divine.
Harp tattoo design of @andrewchesiak via Instagram
-Harp Tattoo Symbol: Plato and Harp
Man, over thousands of years, has developed a large number of symbols which express his own qualities and his power. The harp is an instrument that men use, but it is also the expression of a quality that they possess to a lesser or greater extent: wisdom.
The harp is also the instrument of poets, which is why it is associated with the transmission of customs and the education of men through music. Plato, the Greek philosopher, believed that music reached the souls of men directly.
Harp tattoo design of @andrewchesiak via Instagram
Different Types of Harp Tattoo Design Ideas for Men and Women
1.Harp Tattoo Design Idea for Men and Women: Double Exposure
Just as the image shows, it is a girl dancing and her arm and her body are connected with strings just like a harp. This kind of tattoo is suitable to be sticked on the shoulder or thigh if you want to get a large-size one.
Harp tattoo design of @poulby_tattoo via Instagram
2.Harp Tattoo Design Idea for Men and Women: Swan Inspired Harp Tattoo
This harp tattoo is sticked by a tattoo artist in the United Kingdom and it is a blackwork tattoo.
Harp tattoo design of @aileentattoo via Instagram
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Harp Tattoos: Development History
-From the Neolithic Age to Ancient Greece, Persia and Mesopotamia
Ancient Western plucked instruments such as the harp and hoops, classical guitars, and lutes are all derived from the primitive strings of the Neolithic Age. Primitive strings of strings are often used in primitive tribes as sacrificial tools such as divination, funeral and praying for rain. It can be considered the origin of all classical strings. If you are crazy about Chinese culture, you may think of getting a harp tattoo.
Harp tattoo design of @moonbunnytattoo via Instagram
-Harp Tattoos: Other Function of Harps
With the continuous need for the development of human music and art, the original stringed piano began to expand the range, one of which expanded the range by increasing the number of strings, and the form of the harp was produced (the other one changed the pitch by pressing the strings on the fingerboard, Evolved into the rudiment of the lute). By the time of ancient Greece and Mesopotamia, the classical stringed piano had long since entered the folk and became the accompaniment instrument of the bard, and was no longer confined to sacrificial offerings.
-Harp Tattoos: Ancient Greece, Persia, Mesopotamia to the Middle Ages
The first appearance of the word "Harpa" was around 600 AD; the names of the harp in the early documents are not uniform. The first arched harp (Arched Harp) to be excavated was found in the Mesopotamian plains, dating back to 2500 BC. It is similar to the Burmese harp, with 13 or 14 strings. From the pictures on the tomb at that time, it can be seen that the player used his left hand to pluck the strings and his right hand was responsible for pressing the strings to stop the sound. In some areas of Central and West Africa, you can still see such a harp.
Harp tattoo design of @emmdudetattoos via Instagram
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-Harp Tattoos: Harps After the Middle Ages
The oldest surviving Irish Harp (Irish Harp) was made in the 14th century. Generally, there are 30 to 36 strings, and the biggest feature is the sound played with nails. The biggest difference between the harp in other parts of Europe and the Irish harp at that time was that it was played with fingertips instead of nails, and it did not have a large resonance box like the body of the Irish harp.
Harp tattoo design of @kitmcdermott via Instagram
-Harp Tattoos: Contemporary Harps
At present, the place where the harp is the most primitive in the world is not in Europe, but in Central and South America. The harp structure in Central and South America still retains the original appearance of the Spanish immigration period at that time, although there are some different methods of improvement in different regions. Once in Mexico, I saw their street performers, improvising on the spot holding a harp, playing a few chords, and then chanting lyrics that he thought of at the time, which is very similar to the bards of the Middle Ages; and they are the most representative Sexual ensemble: In Mariachi (with violin, mandolin, and trumpet), the harp is also a must-have instrument (because such harpists have been reduced, and the harp is an economic burden for them. Mariachi only used the harp).
Harp tattoo design of @cad03 via Instagram
-Harp Tattoos: Music Effect
Due to its rich connotation and beautiful sound quality, the harp has become a special color instrument in symphony orchestras and musicals. It is mainly used for harmony accompaniment and gliding style decorative sentences. Every time it plays the finishing touch, it makes the audience unforgettable.
In chamber music, the harp is also an important solo instrument. When playing solo, he can play a soft and beautiful lyric or colorful section, which is very infectious.
Harp tattoo design of @ljc_arts via Instagram
-Harp Tattoos: The Tone of the Harp
The harp has been used in opera bands as early as the 18th century. It has an unparalleled and beautiful sound, especially when playing the arpeggio scale. The volume is not high, but it is as soft as a rainbow, poetic, and sometimes Tenderness and sometimes the mystery is a concentrated expression of natural beauty. Because of its rich connotation and beautiful sound quality, the harp has become a special colorful instrument in symphony orchestras and musicals, and every time it plays the finishing touch, it makes the audience unforgettable.
Harp tattoo design of @j_kennedy_tattoos via Instagram
The appearance of the harp is exquisite, beautiful, and full of artistic temperament. It is elegant and pure as a pearl and has a clear tone like the dew.
The wide sound range, unique playing effect, long aftertaste, and full of fun, make you feel refreshing. Like the gurgling beauty of a fountain in the moonlight, it is filled with a poetic atmosphere. In chamber music, the harp is also an important solo instrument.
Harp tattoo design of @fallenowltattoo via Instagram