Description: Powder horn inscribed "George Morley...." and attributed to the Morley-Smith carver. George Morley enlisted on May 18, 1775 and was discharged December 17, 1775, the date that is seen on the horn. This and the very similar Smith example (no. 82) are the most beautiful of the Seige of Boston horns, and are certainly the work of a professional engraver. Because this horn has little wear and is dated on the day of Morley's discharge, it can be assumed that it was a souvenir rather than a functional horn. The lettering is done in the highest quality copperplate engraving embellished with flourishes and a rococo border. The engraver took artisic license with his word construction in order to create a more pleasing design, and he was careful to leave a generous amount of space around each motif, a practice not followed by most makers.
Link to share this object record: https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2005.20.55 |