Description:
Powder horn inscribed: “John Mills / his horn Made at Crown Point / November the 4 1760" and "J G” for Jacob Gay (or Guay or Gauy, working 1758-1787). A John Mills served in Captain Alexander Todd’s Company of the New Hampshire provincial regiment stationed at Crown Point in 1760. This is one of the finest horns by Jacob Gay, an enigmatic carver noteworthy for working during (and surviving) both the French and Indian War and the Revolution. He may have been from central New Hampshire and of Acadian origins. Horns associated with Gay range greatly in their quality. Here, the lettering incorporates all of Gay’s decorative techniques: beautifully shaded letters with strong contrasts, delicate scrolling, and amusing faces. The scalloped border is deeply carved, and the animals are muscular. This powder horn was Bill Guthman’s favorite.

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2005.20.26

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.