Collection of 24 Antique British Horn Beakers, Including Silver-Mounted

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Description

An assembled collection of twenty-four horn drinking beakers, mostly British, predominantly nineteenth century, with possible early twentieth-century examples. The group … Read more An assembled collection of twenty-four horn drinking beakers, mostly British, predominantly nineteenth century, with possible early twentieth-century examples. The group comprises ten cups with sterling silver mounts (some with shields, others with rims and several having both), including a pair bearing Scottish hallmarks; one silverplate-mounted cup bearing Mappin marks; and thirteen cups without metal mounts. The makers of the remaining examples are unidentified.

The beakers range from small, gently tapered cups to taller vessels with broader mouths, their polished horn displaying distinctive passages of honey gold, pale straw, smoky brown, and nearly opaque black. Translucent areas alternate with dense streaking and rippled horizontal bands, giving each vessel an individual appearance. The restrained forms emphasize these natural variations, while differences in proportion and rim profile distinguish the individual examples within the collection.

The mounted cups introduce silver rim bands and applied shield-shaped escutcheons, several engraved with ornamental initials. Two prominently illustrated beakers bear elaborate script monograms above the date **1871**, providing a specific nineteenth-century reference within the group, although an engraved date does not necessarily establish the year of manufacture. Together, the plain and mounted examples present a varied collection of horn drinking vessels, combining the material’s natural ornament with the more formal detailing of British silverwork.

Quantity: 24 cups: 10 sterling silver-mounted, 1 silverplate-mounted with Mappin marks, and 13 unmounted horn cups.

Measurements: Heights range from 2.25" to 5.125". See less