Savernake Horn
- Gallery: Room 40
- Culture: Late Medieval
- Made in: Italy (Southern (the ivory horn)); England (enamelled bands; silver bands); Scotland (mounts on baldric)
- Date: 12thC (horn); 1325-1350 (enamelled silver bands at bell of horn); 18thC(early) (silver fittings nearer the mouthpiece)
- Object type: hunting-horn, baldric
- Materials: ivory; leather; silver; enamel
- Museum number: 1975,0401.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is the "Savernake Horn," a striking piece from the Late Medieval period. This hunting horn is made from elephant ivory, carefully cut into sixteen facets. It is adorned with four silver mounts and includes a mouthpiece with engraved and enamelled bands.
The most remarkable features are the silver bands around the wide end of the horn. Each band is divided into sixteen compartments, showcasing an intricate mix of birds, a king, a bishop, a forester, hunting dogs, and forest animals—some even under delicate canopies. The translucent enamel that remains hints at the fine artistry of the piece.
The horn includes a leather baldric decorated with silver roundels and engraved leather fittings, some bearing the heraldic arms of the Randolph family. The horn was discovered in Savernake Forest and dates to the 12th century, with later additions made in England and Scotland.
See it in person
Savernake Horn is on display in Room 40 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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