Mount for a horn

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This silver mount for a blast horn was found at the important Pictish site of Burghead in Moray. It was either obtained as loot or a gift from the Northumbrian Angles, who controlled southern Scotland from the 7th until the 10th centuries.

The decoration of the mount is in a style known as Trewiddle ornament, widespread in 9th century Anglo-Saxon England. It has a suspension loop, suggesting it may have been used as a blast horn. The mount is imperfect and cracked in several places.

Cattle horns, embellished with elaborate metal mounts at the mouth and metal terminals at the point, were high status possessions in Anglo-Saxon and Viking societies. Some were used as drinking horns. Others were probably blown as a battle horn.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-043-751-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.IL 214
• Date: Between 850 and 890
  
• Material: Silver
  Mount, war horn
  
• Dimensions: 2.75" D
  
• What: Mount, war horn
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Moray, Burghead
  
• Event:
• Description: Silver mount for an Anglo-Saxon war horn, from Burghead
  
• References:
  • Webster, Leslie and Backhouse, Janet. The making of England. Anglo-Saxon art and culture AD 600-900. London: British Museum Press, 1991, pp 272-3. 
• Translations:
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