Old horn

[Dan Herda]

Found in central Ks.
14.75” AOC and base is 3 1/8” x 2 5/8”

[G. Elsenbeck]

Nice looking old horn Dan.  Looks like it started out as a bison horn and used/decorated by a native? 
Thanks for sharing.Gary

[Elnathan]

I think it is a cowhorn, not a buffalo, though admittedly I've never handled a buffalo horn. I'm also not sure we should assume that the use of paint indicates Indian use.

The horn walls at the butt end are pretty thick and are uneven - that is the way they tend to come from the cow but most old horns I've seen have been thinned and evened out, even the pretty rough ones. That seems kind of unusual to me, and makes me wonder if this isn't a costume or early muzzleloading revival period piece from the 20th century. OTOH, that tip treatment would take some work to make, and it could be a period piece that was shortened at some point - that would explain the nice shaping at the tip and the body with the amateurish work at the butt end.

[Dan Herda]

I believe it to be cow horn as Ive not seen buffalo horn so uneven in thickness nor have I seen them this pale. Its possible I guess that the tip was reworked, the one thing I can note there is that it only has very faint forward strap ware or rub. Imo its likely a frontier made horn with simplicity and function as the main goal. The shrinkage of the base plug, could also indicate age imo. That and four square iron nails securing plug.

[Tim Crosby]

 Don't think it's Buffalo and the marking looks to be to be Magic Marker, especial on the tip portion. Is there a strap attachment point at the neck? maybe holes where there was a staple? The eye screw looks 20th C to me.

  Tim C.

   

[Dan Herda]

As was stated in above post, base plug is held in place by four square nails of metal. Im not real familiar with india ink, what is it made with? And what would the purpose of a layer of leather or rawhide?