[Matchlock]

Hi Norman,

This is only the body, i.e. a fragment of a Nuremberg made caliver powder horn, with all its original iron mounts and frog hook missing. These were made in large numbers at Nuremberg workshops and we know of dated examples which mark a time line of 1598 to 1611, so the basic dating is 'early 17th century'. The body is of cow horn flattened and figured into shape by hot water. Various patterns of engraving are known, all of those depicting humans based on Old Testmant scenes; very often found is the Judith and Holofernes head scene but there are also engravings showing flower heads and intertwining floral motifs.

Common to the whole group are the concentrical circles on the oberse side where the frog hook was mounted.

Some of these horns were also made in Augsburg, Austria and Switzerland but those are clearly indentifiable by both their style of engraving and mounts.

I should estimate the fragment illustrated at about 150 USD as a large number of well preserved flasks of that type are in the market. So all that accounts for the price is the condition of the piece.

I attach images of samples dated 1601, 1603, 1606 and 1608 respectively, as well as of leather frogs with ball pouches to which these horns were attached by their obverse hooks.

Michael