In the Music Hall of the Cultural History Museum at the Rector's Palace, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at 12 p.m., a rare artifact from the museum’s collection will be presented—a harp from 1790 crafted by Dubrovnik harp maker Antonio Bertolini.

This Dubrovnik harp is a rare preserved example of a hook harp. It features 34 strings, with six metal hooks attached to the neck that allowed for half-tone increases on the B and F notes. The column of the instrument is simple, while the neck is adorned with polychrome floral carvings, and the soundbox includes six perforated rosettes that enhanced the instrument's sound. Inside the soundbox, a small label with the builder’s signature can be seen: “Antonio Bertolini fecit Ragusa 1790.”

Once again harp on display 

The birth and death dates of Antonio Bertolini remain unknown. Between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, he was a violinist in the Rector's orchestra and, briefly, its conductor. He composed pieces for guitar and strings, as well as for soprano and strings, with some of his compositions preserved in the library of the Friars Minor Monastery in Dubrovnik.

The harp he built is preserved in the “varia” collection of the Dubrovnik Museums’ Cultural History Museum. The instrument was donated to the museum in the 1950s and was part of the permanent display at the Rector's Palace.

Due to its deteriorating condition, it underwent conservation in 1975 and 1993. The latest restoration work was completed in 2024 by Željko Ćatić, a wood conservator-technician at Dubrovnik Museums, and after more than a decade, the instrument has been prepared for display once again in the permanent exhibition of the Cultural History Museum.