The Segulharpa Stamp

This post is about a postage issue from Iceland in 2014, the segulharpa stamp. Readers of this blog know that musical instrument stamps are popular across the globe. Musical instruments are important objects that represent a culture and that can stand for one’s identity. As a result, musical instrument stamps can be found from many countries, a few examples include Angola, Iraq, Myanmar, and Norway. The unusual thing about this stamp from Finland, is that it doesn’t feature an instrument that has an important cultural role. It doesn’t feature an instrument with a long history and association with a people. Instead, this stamp features a brand new instrument. One that was the invention of Úlfur Hansson of Iceland.

The Segulharpa

The interesting thing about the segulharpa, is that Hansson claims it began as a doodle. He knew what the instrument would look like, before he knew what it would sound like. That doodle is know the circular, looping design that appears on the face of his circular instrument. Behind this flat round, wooden surface are twenty-four strings that make sounds when electromagnets cause them to vibrate. Small copper plates inset in two rows towards the lower half of the circle are the keys, which when a player touches them activates the magnets. This creates an unusual sound, a humming of different pitches, which is very pleasant. It is almost like some kind of a soundscape.

Another unusual aspect of the instrument is that the electromagnets cause the strings to vibrate, but it doesn’t control exactly how. Each string can create multiple pitches from its lowest (longest) frequency, to many overtone harmonics. A player does will not get the same pitches twice. This introduces an element of chance into any performance.

Hansson began experiments to create his instrument in the early 2010s. It became well known through his performances in Iceland, and in 2013 it won an innovation award from the president of Iceland. Hansson continued to innovate and perfect the instrument. It came to prominence when fellow Icelander, the musician Björk, made it a part of her touring show in 2019.

The Guthman Competition

I first became aware of the segulharpa when I was a judge for the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech. This competition awards prizes (and publicity) to the inventors of new musical instruments. The segulharpa was an amazing entrance into the competition and among the many truly creative and interesting inventions, we chose the instrument to win the first prize. The instrument combines an interesting acoustical sound (from the strings) with an elegant and beautiful design.

As the 2021 competition was completely virtual, due to Covid, there was a nice video made to announce it as the winner. It shows the instrument and Hansson explaining it. Check it out below.

The Stamp

It is incredible to think that Iceland would choose the segulharpa for depiction on a stamp. The instrument is a brand new invention and does not have a long history or meaning for Icelandic people. Amazingly, its moments of highest publicity were only in 2019 (with Björk) and then in 2021 with the Guthman competition. There was even a New York Times article featuring the segulharpa.

The stamp was one of a pair that were for the Europa C.E.P.T. theme of national musical instruments. Iceland chose to feature two new instruments, the other being a steinharpa (stone harp) which is a kind of xylophone made with pieces of stone. The instrument is by Pall Gudmundsson, but there are other older versions of stone xylophones. It is not quite as creative as the segulharpa.

Both stamps are in full color and feature the instruments by themselves (no players and no other instruments). They are on cool color backgrounds that are mottled like stone. The instruments go outside of a rectangle design, and the stamp shape follows the instruments to create an irregular design. In addition to Icelandic text about the Europa stamp and the name of the instrument, each stamp also has a Europa insignia and the date of 2014.