Description:
"Jonathan Cook," possibly Fort Dummer, Mass. (Now Vernon, Vermont), 1747. Inscriptions: Jonathan Cook***1747/JM/JM/James Melven 1746. Massachusetts records list a Jonathan Cook serving at Fort Dummer in 1749 as a private in Captain Josiah Willard's Company. Cook could have been serving there in 1747. James Melven was probably a later owner of the horn. The calligraphy on the horn displays a mixture of mediocre Gothic and block lettering. The initials JM are carved in 2 places in a more accomplished hand, while the second inscription JAMES MELVEN 1746 is a badly engraved addition. The horn is profusely engraved with animals, birds, and flowers whose deep incising shows remarkable skill. The figures are both realistic and fantastic. These animals represent the beginning of a tradition that lasted into the 19th century. A neat geometric border runs the entire length of the horn and ends at the border of the recessed portion which is 5 inches from the tip of the horn. A heavy brass band 1 inch wide encirlcles the butt end of the horn and is secured with 5 tiny brass nails, undoubtedly a later addition for it covers part of the engraving. Two holes at the outer edge of the brass band have fragments of twine in them from a later carrying strap.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2005.20.2 |
