Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


109 - African Manding Tribe Powder Horn with Strap, Late 19th Century

The only powder horn in Lew's collection, Lew attributed this example to the Manding people and dated it as circa 1890. A horn has largely been covered with embossed red-brown and black leather except at the center. An aged leather strap connects through a loop to a string that inserts through a piercing to retain the stopper and has a knot at the opposite end where it again goes through a loop attached to the horn. The strap shows signs of old repairs and Lew has reinforced one spot close to breaking with a bit of thin wire. There are also a few defects and losses to the leather covering. The horn is 14¼ inches long and weighs 7.8 ounces.




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