Falconer's Horn

Unknown

18th century · Ivory · Musical Instruments

Although we usually think of horns as being made of brass, the oldest and simplest of these instruments were commonly made of animal horn. The conical shape of animal horns used as signal or ritual instruments was retained in more sophisticated horns of metal and wood. The term "cornetto" comes from the Latin, "cornu" (horn), while "shofar" is related to the Sumerian name for a male goat of ibex. The falconer's horn and shofar produce only a few pitches, while the fingerholes of the bukkehorn and cornetto allow melodic playing.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th century

Medium

Ivory

Culture

German or British

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889