HORN AND SMALL BOXES

Out there in COLLECTORland there is a myriad of 'small boxes' being collected. These small boxes are but a tiny taste of what's out there when you focus on horn and bone as a material. There's an essay that might be written on each box and their cultural context let alone their 'placedness'. After that there are longish, rich and 'deep histories' invested in each that only rarely get to attach themselves to small boxes of other material – tin, plastic, wood, whatever. Little boxes tend to contain 'treasures', like the making for fire, but when the material is treasured, and when it's invested with its own stories, the 'preciousness' gets to be turned up a notch or two.

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 Antique Scottish Snuff Box

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  Antique French Snuff Box

 Contemporary horn & bone laminated jewellery Box

 Antique Scottish Snuff Box

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AUSTRALIAN HORN SCRIMSHAW – Histories Unknown

A zingBOX

Horn has been a 'material' used for containing 'materials' of various significances, for religious rites, a meditative talisman, of medicinal significance, snuff and drugs, for objects of contemplation, for remembrance of place, momento mori and little treasures of every kind. It all comes about as a consequence of 'the hunt', herding, 'placedness, and all manner of activities and not the least trading of goods and ideas. 

If one looks there is always a story. The stories are numberless and most often involve intimate knowledge. This 'box' is one such reliquary for a story, a momento mori and meditation. 

MATERIALS: Jersey Horn, Stg. Silver (Conductivity 11) &11 Basmati grains

CLICK TO GO TO THE BOX GALLERY

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AUSTRALIAN HORN SCRIMSHAW

A pair of 19th century scrimshaw-decorated cow horns that went under the hammer at Charles Miller auctions in London. The catalogue description reads: "... incised overall with typical whaling scenes and banner script, a Masonic cartouche to one, the other with a patriotic shield entitled ADVANCE AUSTRALIA.

Bullock horn engraved with a scrimshaw technique. The black tip of the horn has been cut off and carved to form a mouthpiece, while the cream body of the horn is engraved and is finished at the end with a carved zig zag edge and a carved decorative band in a diamond pattern. The images on the horn include a sun with a human face and six six-pointed stars; various flowers and plants including the English rose, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, Australian banksia, Australian flannel flower, ears of wheat, a grapevine and a fruit tree; various insects and beetles, including a mosquito and a millipede; an emu; a pair of snakes entwined round a tree; a three masted sailing ship and fish; a lizard; a swallow; an image of an English cottage with rooster, pond, picket fence and tree; part of the badge of the 39th Regiment, representing the Fortress of Gibraltar and its key, within two swords and a musket; a smoker's pipe; and a crown within a laurel wreath. The top of the horn bears 'J.BALL 39th Rt' on a ribbon scroll. The bottom of the horn bears 'R.HASLAM 39TH Regt' within a decorative rectangle surmounted by a pocket watch set at nine o'clock. A brown cotton cord is tied to the narrow end of the horn and to a hole cut through the lower edge beneath the image of the millipede. Click here to go to source

Pair of scrimshaw cow horns carved with various portraits & horses. 19th century. Australia Approx. 37 cm each

CELEBRATING THE HERD

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An example of a a Texan HORNchair

If we are looking for an expression of HORN PLACEDNESS we perhaps need go no further than The National Texas Longhorn Museum 

The Buckhorn, Wenzel Friedrich and Billie Keilman's Horn Palace is founded on the Buckhorn Saloon that was founded in 1881 by Albert Friedrich, son of cabinet maker and famed horn furniture maker, Wenzel Friedrich. Beginning in 1880, Wenzel Friedrich made among the most beautiful horn furniture produced in Texas. 

The Buckhorn was located in San Antonio. Albert was very fond of deer antlers and cattle horns, which he used to decorate his saloon. As word of this got around, he began offering to trade a drink for horn or antler specimens. The collection grew, and over the years it became larger and larger -- and so did the Buckhorn's reputation. 

The Buckhorn became a San Antonio landmark and was known around the world. In its heyday, it was the largest horn collection in America. During the same time, another massive collection of horns and mounted specimens was being gathered by saloon-keeper Billie Keilman who displayed them in his Horn Palace in San Antonio, beginning in 1912. 

Billie Keilman's establishment was well-known for its chicken dinners, music and nightlife. Billie claimed to have the largest horn collection in the world with over 5000 specimens from many countries. 

The Horn Palace was sold to the Buckhorn in 1921, which then made it the undisputed horn king of San Antonio. What remains of the Buckhorn's collection may be seen today in San Antonio.

That all this played out in Texas where wealth and cattle were intrinsically interlinked as it is elsewhere where the relationships between ‘herders’ and their ‘placedness’ are intrinsically linked and perhaps intertwined in ways in ways that are perhaps somewhat subliminal.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MUSEUM WEBSITE

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HORN CHAIR MAKERS

'RINO 'AS A PRECIOUS SUBJECT FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

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When you go looking fo HORNstuff its always possible that something quite weird will turn up. This one is a Russian Gem-Set Silver Mounted and Sandstone Match Holder in the Form for a Rhinoceros. Marked Faberge', with the workmasters mark of Julius Rappoport, St. Petersburg, Circa 1890. Scratched inventory number indistinct. Ovoid, the sandstone body with well for matches, with silver mounts formed as a horn, ears, feet and tail, the eyes set with cabochon rubies, marked throughout BTW: the asking price for the piece is $95,000 (US$ presumably) NOTE NO horn or RINOhorn in evidence but there we go!! The 'mythology' that 'horn' and 'Rhinos' is somewhat all pervasive and it is thus bound to manifest itself in unlikely ways.

FANTASTIC FANTACIES

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Background References

• A rhinoceros (/raɪˈnɒsərəs/, meaning "nose horn"), often abbreviated to rhino, is one of any five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as any of the numerous extinct species. Two of these extant species are native to Africa and three to Southern Asia. .... Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and which are used by some cultures for ornamental or traditional medicinal purposes. East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns. By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People grind up the horns and then consume them believing the dust has therapeutic properties.^[2][3] The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.^[4] Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn. The IUCN Red List identifies three of the species as critically endangered. ... Read more here

• Why Does a Rhino Horn Cost $300,000? Because Vietnam Thinks It Cures Cancer and Hangovers A rhino-head heist spree is sweeping the world and destroying rhino populations, mostly because of some ridiculous myths GWYNN GUILFORD MAY 15, 2013 ... CLICK HERE
• The Many Valuable & Versatile Uses For Rhino Horn As our month long celebration of everything amazing about planet Earth continues, we turn our attention to one of the most unique creatures - and one very close to our hearts at TreadRight - to further explore just what it is about this amazing animal that makes is seem so mystical and magical.... CLICK HERE

• Carved rhino horns top two Asian art sales A large carved full-tip rhinoceros horn libation cup, 19th century, carried an estimate of $60,000-$80,000. A large carved full-tip rhinoceros horn libation cup, 19th century, carried an estimate of $60,000-$80,000. by Peter Fish Rhinoceros horn might not be the most politically correct of collectibles but it is much in vogue with Chinese buyers and proved a $100,000 commodity at two Asian art auctions this week. .............. Fetching top price at the Sotheby's Australia sale at Sydney's InterContinental hotel on Tuesday evening was a richly carved Chinese rhino horn libation cup some 60.5cm long which brought $120,000 on the hammer, or $146,400 including buyer's premium, while the star at Leonard Joel's in Melbourne's South Yarra on Sunday afternoon was a tiny rhino horn cup that fetched $96,000. .............. While Sotheby's was expecting a serious price for its big horn, which carried a pre-sale of $60,000 to $80,000 (estimates exclude buyer's premium), the pre-sale estimate on Joel's rhino cup was catalogued at a mere $2000 to $3000, the fall of the hammer being greeted with a round of applause in the room. .............. Read more click here