Windharfe (Aeolsharfe)

The engraving presents a perspective view of a rectangular soundbox with parallel strings stretched across bridges. Lettered labels identify specific components for technical reference, and three circular sound holes with decorative patterns are visible on the soundboard. A metal ring is attached to the side, likely for mounting the device in a window or aperture to catch the wind.

Athanasius Kircher utilized the Aeolian harp as a mechanical proof of 'natural music,' where the environment itself could produce harmony without human agency. This reflected his broader Neoplatonic worldview, in which the 'spiritus' of the wind serves as a metaphor for the divine breath or world-soul animating the material cosmos into a state of universal harmony.