Windharfe

The engraving depicts a mechanical device featuring two large, horn-shaped funnels connected to a central rectangular soundbox containing vertical strings. A personified wind figure on the right blows into the apparatus to vibrate the strings, while the labels indicate dimensions and specific mechanical components. The instrument is situated in a landscape with mountains and a small stone building in the background.

This illustration represents Athanasius Kircher's research into 'natural music' and his attempt to harness environmental forces to reveal the underlying harmonic structure of the universe. It serves as a physical manifestation of the Neoplatonic concept of the 'music of the spheres,' bridging Renaissance mysticism with early modern acoustic science.