PAINTED HORN

[Bob McBride]

Cool estate find this weekend. Horns that have been painted are a fascination of mine. This painted horn was found at a Century farm auction here in Middle Tennessee. No history. About 15” along the outside. Octagon tip, small iron nails. Very old milk paint it seems. Could have been yellow or white. I couldn’t leave it lay. Thoughts?

[Bob McBride]

[Kevin]

Bob,

Very nice find.  A sizable horn with simple design.  I wonder if the horn has sported the coat of paint all its working life or if it was a later addition.

Thanks for posting the photos.

Kevin

[T.C.Albert]

is it white washed? Traditional quick lime paint used in the old days on barn walls and fences etc...it chips like that and could resemble heavy coats of milk paint. Dads old peg barn was white washed inside and looked like that.
TC
 

[Bob McBride]

It could be TC as I’m no expert on limewash. I always thought limewash peeled in layers and showed some stratification. I could be wrong.

[Bob McBride]

Bob,

Very nice find.  A sizable horn with simple design.  I wonder if the horn has sported the coat of paint all its working life or if it was a later addition.

Thanks for posting the photos.

Kevin

Kevin, the horn does show scratches in the areas of the body that are free of paint and that carry on under the paint edge but they could be from shaping the horn. The tip shows significantly more wear than the parts of the body that are free of paint. Hard to say. I would guess it was painted after the start of it’s service life but early on based on the areas of the horn I can see.

[Tim Crosby]

 I was thinking White Wash when I was first looking at the Pix even before Tim's post. Added some time in its life span.  Always a thrill to see a horn at a sale, have to did through every box on the place looking for more pieces. Neat old horn.

    Tim

[Collector]

If you hadn't been there and picked-up that old horn, there's no tell'n what it's future might have been in the hands of, dare I say it (Dare, Dare!)... an interior decorator.  It could have even ended up in a photo in Ladies Home Journal - perish the thought!

You know, if I were a frugal man with aging eyes and I'd put my powder horn down on the ground and lost it because it blended in, I just might do something to help me keep track of its replacement.


Neat old horn with or without the paint.   

[Panzerschwein]

Paint made with milk?

I looked it up. Amazing! I had no idea it could be done.

[Bob McBride]

I couldn't resist. An hour or so with bees wax and the heat gun and she's tight as can be.....Just need to whittle a stopper.

As this set goes with my Jack Brooks Carolina gun and I've got a deer belly shot pouch by Eric E and my whole goal hunting season is to collect the raw materials to make a buck ball ball bag to go with it, the white horn is being pressed back into service.... Sure looks good with the shot bag and the white broken clay pipe shot measure....