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Busselton Historical Society > Records

Plain Drinking Cup (horn beaker)

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(unknown)

c. 1825

Overview

This item is a drinking cup made from a cow's horn. It is coloured in various hues of brown.

Cowhorn refers to the horn of a cow, which is a permanent bony projection on the head covered by a tough outer sheath of keratin.

Historical information

A drinking horn is the horn of a bovid and used as a vessel for drinking mead,ale or wine. Dating back to the iron age, they remain in use today for ceremonial purposes, including burials and weddings and would be decorated in gold and silver. Since the 16th Century, fanaticism with Norse culture has seen the drinking horn used for domestic decoration and drink consumption.

A horn beaker is a cylindrical drinking cup made from an animal horn, typically from cattle or ox.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2018.25

Item type

Cups

Drinking vessels

Objects

Themes

Food & Beverage

Material

Animal Material

Width

7.5000 cm

Height or length

11.5000 cm

Weight

105 g

Inscriptions and markings

(None)

Contextual information

Brought out from England by the donor

Keywords

Animals/Animal Products

Year

Statement of significance

No known Significance

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Last modified

Thursday, 10 September, 2026

Completeness

94

Busselton Historical Society

Busselton Historical Society

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