Engraved Powder Horn / Artist Unknown

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Record Details

Accession Number
2007/1.101
Title
Engraved Powder Horn
Medium and Support
animal horn
Object Creation Date
18th century
Object Creation Place
North and Central America (continent)
United States (nation)
Creation Place 2
United States (nation)
Dimensions
24 cm x 17 cm x 7 cm (9 7/16 in. x 6 11/16 in. x 2 3/4 in.)
Century
18th century
Primary Object Classification
Arms and Armor
Primary Object Type
powder horn
Secondary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Physical Description
Animal horn engraved with the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, in which a crowned lion and a chained unicorn supporting a shield stand above a banner with the motto “dieu et mon droit” (which directly translated from French means “God and my right” referring to the monarch’s divine right to govern which has been used as the motto of the British monarch since it was adopted by Henry V (1413-1422)). The shield consists of four quadrants: the first quadrant contains four lions, the second contains three fleurs de lis, the third contains a mermaid and a harp, the fourth contains three lions and a stag or dog-like animal. Surrounding the shield is a belt or garter upon which is emblazoned “Honi soit qui mal y pense” which means “evil unto they who think evil,” the motto of the Order of the Knights of the Garter, an ancient exclusive British order consisting of 25 members who were selected by the king of England. Near the base, the horn is engraved with a cityscape of Philadelphia from the harbor with numerous buildings, towers, boats and ships, and a man with a rifle shooting at a stag or lion in the distance.
Subject Matter
The provincial carved powder horn is an indigenous North American art form. Made from the cow, ox or buffalo horn, powder horns were commonly used with 18th century muskets to safely store gunpowder, and their polished surfaces often provided a canvas for a professional carver. This work is engraved with the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom and a cityscape of Philadelphia, symbolizing the position of Philadelphia in the early history of the founding of America.
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Technical Details

Image Size
2804 x 1688
File Size
629 KB
Record
2007/1.101
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2007-sl-1.101/2007_1.101.jpg

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"Engraved Powder Horn; Artist Unknown." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2007-sl-1.101/2007_1.101.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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