North America, United States, ca. 19th century. A fascinating carved oxen powder horn of a mottled creamy yellow, tan, and deep brown hues, tapered and capped with a wooden stopper on one end. Boasting a lustrous burnish, the exterior has been scrimshawed with a series of intricate designs, such as horizontal geometric borders of triangles, lattice-work, and diagonal striations on each end, a bird, a house showing three sides, the bust of a person with short hair, a buffalo cut in half [how meta! (self-referential)], a swirling anthropomorphic design, the letters "FR" and "RH", and some other light doodles. Nine metal dots, 7 iron and 2 brass, adorn the periphery by the wooden stopper, while a leather strap attaches to the top and bottom, for suspension. This horn would have been used as a tinder box or fire starting kit. It was intended to keep one's flint and fire steel together and to protect the tinder from moisture. Size: 7.5" L x 3.25" in diameter (19 cm x 8.3 cm)

Provenance: private Glorieta, New Mexico, USA collection

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#160339

Two iron dots have been replaced with brass. Expected surface wear with some light fading of detail and barely distinguishable scratches to body, as well as cracking to wooden stopper. Otherwise, intact and excellent.