Media Release
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Peer into a
World before Plastic Centuries ago, this ancient
craft was the equivalent of the plastics industry today, according to this
fascinating history by Adele Schaverien
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What was the most common material
worked by man for over a hundred useful items before the advent of the modern
plastics industry? It was, in fact, animal horn.
For hundreds of years this versatile
material was harnessed to produce an amazing variety of objects for domestic,
personal and work use, even as a substitute for glass in medieval times. Horn
was used by the rural worker for rough tools and the master craftsmen of the
Art Nouveau period in jewellery.
Words such as shoehorn, hunting
horn, powder horn and horn-rimmed spectacles are a legacy to the extensive use
of this natural plastic material. ‘Greenhorn’ was a trade term that has been
coined for more general use. Horn has also a special significance in
superstition, mythology as well as its references in bawdy humour.
No history of this ancient craft has
been written before; Horn: Its History
and Its Uses is a beautifully illustrated, fascinating account for the
general reader and yet is highly commended by academics.
Adele Schaverien’s authoritative and
readable book is accessible to people with a variety of interests, from archaeology
to zoology, and of course the antique trade. Anyone curious about the past will
discover the lost art and skills of hornworking and see the many useful and
exquisite items that were made from this material through the 262 high quality
photographs.
It is no wonder that horn has been
described as the Cinderella of organic materials. Once the rough exterior of a
horn has been removed and polished, it can reveal colour shades from glossy
black to creamy tones and in some cases a delicate translucency.