Harps were fashionable for women to play in the Regency Era in part due to an opportunity to display one's figure to be admired. Owning and playing a harp, which is a large and expensive instrument, was an indicator of wealth and elevated class.
Women during the Regency Era were expected to learn how to play a musical instrument. At the beginning of the era, it was seen as a skill of leisure but later transformed into an art form and professional musicians were regarded as artisans. For women who needed to work, knowing how to play a musical instrument was an asset.
